Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Noncontact infrared thermometers don't match rectal temps in dogs
By Barton, James C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2022·University of Liverpool, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A noninvasive method of temperature measurement using a noncontact handheld infrared thermometer fails to correlate with rectal temperature in dogs and cats.
Plain-English summary
A study involving 168 dogs and 61 cats found that using a noncontact infrared thermometer (NCIT) to measure body temperature did not match the more traditional method of taking rectal temperatures. The NCIT readings were consistently lower than rectal temperatures, with dogs averaging about 2.2 degrees Celsius lower and cats about 2.7 degrees lower. This means that if you're using an NCIT to check your pet's temperature, it may not give you an accurate reading. For reliable temperature checks, it's best to stick with the rectal thermometer method for both dogs and cats.
People also search for: dog temperature measurement · cat fever symptoms · infrared thermometer accuracy for pets
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To perform a retrospective, multicenter observational study that compares the agreement of rectal temperature with the temperature measured with noncontact infrared thermometer (NCIT) in a population of dogs and cats. ANIMALS: 168 dogs and 61 cats. PROCEDURES: NCIT readings were taken in triplicate from the medial pinna, then rectal temperature was taken with a standard digital rectal thermometer (RT). Ambient room temperature, signalment, presence of icterus, skin and coat color, reason for presentation, and final diagnosis were recorded. RESULTS: In dogs, median (range) body temperature reflected by RT and NCIT measurements was 38.4 °C (33.4 to 40.3 °C) and 36.3 °C (30.8 to 40.0 °C), respectively. In cats, median (range) body temperature reflected by RT and NCIT measurements was 38.3 °C (36.2 to 40.0 °C) and 35.7 °C (31.8 to 38.0 °C), respectively. There was a weak positive correlation between body temperatures measured by NCIT and RT in dogs (Kendall tau = 0.154), but there was no correlation in cats (Kendall tau = -0.01). A significant, albeit weak, agreement was seen between temperature measured by NCIT and RT in dogs (Kappa value, 0.05), but not cats (Kappa value, -0.08). In both species, NCIT tended to underread body temperature, compared with RT (dogs: mean ± SD bias -2.2 ± 1.51 °C; cats: mean bias -2.7 ± 1.44 °C), with the degree of low measurements lessening as body temperature increased. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Given both poor correlation and agreement in body temperature measured by NCIT and rectal thermometer, NCIT measurements cannot be recommended at the current time as a means to determine body temperature in dogs and cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35066483/