Dataset Information

The Use of Infrared Thermography (IRT) as Stress Indicator in Horses Trained for Endurance: A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this pilot study was to document the effects of endurance training at different intensities on heart rate (HR), blood count, serum cortisol, and maximal temperatures of different body locations, namely eye, crown, pastern pasterns, gluteus and longissimus dorsi muscle (mm), measured by infrared thermography technique (IRT) in horses trained for endurance. Possible associations among the studied parameters were also investigated. Our hypothesis was that temperature, measured by IRT after endurance training of different intensities would vary depending on the intensity and would be positively correlated with HR and serum cortisol. Eight horses were tested before and after training of different intensities (low, moderate, and high). The results partially supported our hypothesis; all the studied parameters increased after training (p < 0.05), eye temperature (ET) correlated positively with HR (p < 0.01), and crown temperature (CT) correlated positively with cortisol (p < 0.01). However, only HR and white blood cells increased with the intensity of the exercise (p = 0.0016 and p = 0.0142, respectively). Our findings suggest the evaluation of ET and CT may become a useful non-invasive tool to detect physiological stress during training and to evaluate how the horses cope with the training. Infrared thermography technique may also become a useful tool for the early identification of horses that are not fit to compete or to continue the competition. However, further studies should be conducted on a larger number of horses and during competitions to ascertain our preliminary findings.

SUBMITTER: Redaelli V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6466296 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Use of Infrared Thermography (IRT) as Stress Indicator in Horses Trained for Endurance: A Pilot Study.

Redaelli Veronica V Luzi Fabio F Mazzola Silvia S Bariffi Gaia Dominique GD Zappaterra Martina M Nanni Costa Leonardo L Padalino Barbara B

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20190307 3

The aim of this pilot study was to document the effects of endurance training at different intensities on heart rate (HR), blood count, serum cortisol, and maximal temperatures of different body locations, namely eye, crown, pastern pasterns, gluteus and longissimus dorsi muscle (mm), measured by infrared thermography technique (IRT) in horses trained for endurance. Possible associations among the studied parameters were also investigated. Our hypothesis was that temperature ...[more]

PMID: 30866503

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Project description:Hypothermia is risk factor for piglet neonatal mortality, especially for low birth weight piglets. Piglets with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) also have a higher mortality risk at birth. This study aimed to validate infrared thermography (IRT) as an alternative to rectal temperature (RT) to measure piglet temperature in the hour postpartum, and to identify piglets with thermoregulation difficulties. At birth (6.3 ± 0.35 min postpartum), 67 piglets were dried, weighed, scored for growth retardation (IUGR; 0-3), and isolated in a plastic box where IRT images were taken, followed by RT. Piglets were then returned to the farrowing pen, and the process repeated at 15, 30, and 60 min postpartum. Piglets were ranked according to their weight (quartiles: 0.57-1.27 kg, 1.27-1.5 kg, 1.5-1.74 kg, 1.74-2.44 kg). Temperatures (ear base and tip; minimum, maximum and average of back) were extracted from IRT images (Thermacam Researcher Pro 2.0). Pearson correlations between temperature measures were calculated, and the effect of time, IUGR score, and weight were included in linear mixed models (SAS 9.4). RT was correlated with all IRT data across time points (P < 0.05); correlations were strongest with the ear base, and weakest with the ear tip and minimum back temperature. Both IUGR score and weight rank affected ear base (P < 0.05) and RTs (P < 0.05). The lightest piglets, and piglets with severe IUGR had the lowest temperature, relative to their counterparts. Indeed, differences between all weights categories were significant for RT. Piglets with the lowest weight (0.27-1.27 kg) had lower ear base temperatures than piglets in the third quartile (1.5-1.74 kg; 35.2 ± 0.36 °C vs. 36.5 ± 0.35 °C, t 64.9 = -4.51, P < 0.001) and the heaviest piglets (1.74-2.44 kg; 35.2 ± 0.36 °C vs. 36.4 ± 0.36 °C, t 70.4 = -3.97, P < 0.005). Overall, piglets with severe IUGR (score 3) had a lower RT than normal piglets (score 0; 35.8 ± 0.46 °C vs. 37.2 ± 0.42 °C, t 43.1 = 3.16, P < 0.05) and piglets with mild IUGR (score 1; 35.8 ± 0.46 °C vs. 37.1 ± 0.40 °C, t 45.3 = 2.92, P < 0.05); and they also had lower temperature at the base of the ear than normal piglets (35.1 ± 0.42 °C vs. 36.3 ± 0.36 °C, t 63.1 = 3.01, P < 0.05). These results confirmed that IRT is an interesting noninvasive tool for assessing neonatal piglets' thermoregulatory abilities and could be used in research investigating successful interventions for piglets at risk of hypothermia.

Dataset Information

The Use of Infrared Thermography (IRT) as Stress Indicator in Horses Trained for Endurance: A Pilot Study.

Publications

The Use of Infrared Thermography (IRT) as Stress Indicator in Horses Trained for Endurance: A Pilot Study.

Similar Datasets

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