Big dogs cooler than small dogs

摘要

A new study has found an inverse correlation between body size and temperature in dogs. The study, which will be published soon in the Journal of Thermal Biology, was conducted at the University of Messina School of Veterinary Medicine in Messina, Italy, and involved a laboratory component and a clinical component. The laboratory component looked at 10 bassett hound puppies, 13 boxer puppies and 15 Neapolitan mastiff puppies. The pups were weighed at birth and every 10 days until 2 months of age. Inaddition, the rectal temperatures were recorded at 3-hour intervals for 27 hours every 7 days, starting at day 7 after birth until day 56. The clinical component involved 115 healthy dogs of various breeds that presented to the veterinary clinic over 5 consecutive days.