Comparison of non-contact infrared thermometry and rectal thermometry in cats

摘要

Objectives Body temperature is commonly used for assessing health and identifying infectious diseases in cats. Rectal thermometry, the most commonly used method, is stressful, invasive and time consuming. Non-contact infrared thermometry (NIRT) has been used with mixed success to measure temperature in humans and other species. The purpose of this study was to determine if NIRT measurements were comparable to rectal temperature measurements or, if not highly correlated, could at least identify cats in the hypothermic or hyperthermic range in need of further evaluation.