Abnormal body temperature is a major indicator of disease; infrared thermography (IRT) can assess changes in body surface temperature quickly and remotely.
This technology can be applied to a myriad of diseases of various etiologies across a wide range of host species in veterinary medicine. It is used to monitor the physiologic status of individual animals, such as measuring feed efficiency or diagnosing pregnancy.
Infrared thermography has applications in the assessment of animal welfare, and has been used to detect soring in horses and monitor stress responses.
This review addresses the variety of uses for IRT in veterinary medicine, including disease detection, physiologic monitoring, welfare assessment, and potential future applications.
The study is from the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Greenport, New York, USA, and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Plum Island Animal Disease Center Research Participation Program, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA.
Rekant SI, Lyons MA, Pacheco J M, et al. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2016; 77 (1): 98-107; doi: 10.2460/ajvr.77.1.98.