Infrared thermography evaluation from the back region of healthy horses in controlled temperature room

Abstract

The infrared thermography is a diagnostic imaging tool, which measures the surface temperature of an object through its heat emission. It is a non-invasive method, painless, with no involvement of radiation. Horses have elevated incidence of back injuries which causes decrease in their performance. A rapid and accurate diagnostic is essential to start the treatment. The aim of this paper was to establish the ideal time to the animal stay e inside a controlled room to balance their temperature and in the second time verify the thermographic temperature of specific back regions. It was studied fifteen healthy horses, being performed thermography of thoracic, lumbar and pelvic regions in four different times. There was a significant difference between the thermography performed outside and inside of the controlled temperature room. It was concluded that the ideal time to the horse stay into the controlled temperature room was thirty minutes and the mean thermographic temperatures of back regions, were obtained and can be used as parameters to identify injuries in other horses.