Relationship between thermography image and rectal temperature in goat kids

Abstract

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a non-invasive technique that uses thermal cameras to measure surface temperatures by detecting infrared radiation. The purpose of our study was to explore the applicability of IRT in goats kids by examining the correlation between body temperature measured by a conventional thermometer and IRT. We also aimed to investigate temperature variations across different areas of the goat's body and assess the impact of collection day and observer variability. For our study, we used a single model of an infrared camera and collected samples from 11 Majorera goat kids calves over three consecutive days, with measurements conducted by three different observers. Non-parametric tests were employed to analyze the camera data, and the correlation with the measurements in the perineal area, which belongs to the same area as the rectal measurement, was concluded. To enhance future research, it is recommended to include animals with febrile conditions to establish a wider temperature range. Regarding the temperatures measured in different body zones using IRT, correlations among these zones were observed. Notably, the observer effect was found to have the most significant impact, likely due to variations in the distance between the camera and the animal's body not being standardized.