An analysis of the effect of thermometer type and make on rectal temperature measurements of cattle, horses and sheep.
Abstract: To compare the variation in rectal temperature measurement by digital, mercury and ethanol thermometers in cattle, horses and sheep. Methods: Seven different makes of thermometer (four digital, two mercury, and one ethanol; (n=27) were tested individually in a calibrated water bath to identify whether there was an effect of thermometer make on recorded temperature. In addition, rectal temperatures of four cattle, four sheep and four horses were recorded using the same thermometers, by seven persons, with each person being assigned to one thermometer make. Results: In the water bath test, mean temperature was affected by thermometer make (p<0.001) and ranged from 38.0°C for the Digital Large Animal thermometer to 38.3°C, which was recorded by the Rapid Digital thermometer and the three makes of capillary thermometer. There was an interaction between species and make of thermometer (p<0.001). In sheep, the lowest mean temperature was recorded using the Capillary Small Animal thermometer (39.2°C) and the highest using the alcohol thermometer (mean 40.4°C). In cows and horses, the highest mean temperatures were recorded by the alcohol thermometer (38.6 and 38.9°C, respectively), and the lowest by the Rapid Digital thermometer (37.7 and 36.3°C, respectively). Over all species, the Rapid Digital (mean difference 0.89 (95% CI=0.71-1.08)°C) and Genia Digiflash (mean difference 0.61 (95% CI=0.42-0.81)°C) both recorded lower temperatures than the reference thermometer (Capillary Small Animal). The alcohol thermometer recorded higher temperatures than all other thermometers (mean difference 0.55 (95% CI=0.35-0.74)°C compared with reference). There were differences in variance between thermometer types (p<0.001), with the Rapid Digital having the highest (SD 1.47) and the Capillary Small Animal the lowest (SD 0.53). Conclusions: Make of thermometer can influence rectal temperature measurements. In this study, digital thermometers generally recorded lower temperatures than mercury thermometers and had the highest variance. If digital thermometers are to be recommended for use in livestock, particularly in cattle and horses, robust data are needed showing that the specific make is reliable.
Publication Date: 2015-03-31 PubMed ID: 25263731DOI: 10.1080/00480169.2014.967325Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research paper presents a comparative study of different types of thermometers (digital, mercury, and ethanol) and their accuracy in taking rectal temperature measurements of various livestock animals (cattle, horses, and sheep).
Study Overview
- The researchers used seven different kinds of thermometers across three types – four digital, two mercury, and one ethanol. The performance of each was tested individually in a calibrated water bath to see if the make or type influenced the recorded temperature.
- Real-world tests were also conducted using the same thermometers on four cows, sheep, and horses each. Seven different individuals carried out these measurements, each assigned to a specific type and make of thermometer.
Findings
- The water bath testing revealed that the thermometer make impacted the mean temperature significantly (p<0.001). The Digital Large Animal thermometer recorded the lowest average temperature of 38.0°C, while the highest was recorded by the Rapid Digital and three makes of capillary thermometers at 38.3°C.
- The interaction between the type of animal and thermometer make is significant (p<0.001). In sheep, the Capillary Small Animal thermometer recorded the lowest mean temperature 39.2°C, while the alcohol thermometer gave the highest average temperature of 40.4°C. The alcohol thermometer also recorded the highest mean temperatures in cows and horses (38.6 and 38.9°C, respectively), whereas the Rapid Digital thermometer recorded the lowest in both (37.7 and 36.3°C, respectively).
- Overall, the Rapid Digital and Genia Digiflash thermometers consistently recorded lower temperatures compared to the reference thermometer (Capillary Small Animal). The alcohol thermometer consistently gave higher readings than all other types of thermometers used in the study.
- The researchers also noticed significant differences in variance between thermometer types (p<0.001), with the Rapid Digital recording the highest (standard deviation 1.47) and the Capillary Small Animal thermometer recording the lowest (standard deviation 0.53).
Conclusions
- The main conclusion of the study is that the type and make of thermometer can significantly impact rectal temperature measurements, particularly in livestock animals.
- Digital thermometers were generally found to record lower temperatures than mercury thermometers and had the highest variance. Therefore, before recommending digital thermometers for use in livestock, particularly cattle and horses, it’s important to substantiate their reliability with robust data.
Cite This Article
APA
Hine L, Laven RA, Sahu SK.
(2015).
An analysis of the effect of thermometer type and make on rectal temperature measurements of cattle, horses and sheep.
N Z Vet J, 63(3), 171-173.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2014.967325 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- a Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University , Private Bag 1122, Palmerston North , New Zealand.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Body Temperature / physiology
- Cattle / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Rectum / physiology
- Sheep / physiology
- Thermometers / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Kang H, Zsoldos RR, Sole-Guitart A, Narayan E, Cawdell-Smith AJ, Gaughan JB. Heat stress in horses: a literature review.. Int J Biometeorol 2023 Jun;67(6):957-973.
- Kang H, Zsoldos RR, Skinner JE, Gaughan JB, Mellor VA, Sole-Guitart A. The Use of Percutaneous Thermal Sensing Microchips to Measure Body Temperature in Horses during and after Exercise Using Three Different Cool-Down Methods.. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 14;12(10).
- Feng YZ, Zhao HT, Jia GF, Ojukwu C, Tan HQ. Establishment of validated models for non-invasive prediction of rectal temperature of sows using infrared thermography and chemometrics.. Int J Biometeorol 2019 Oct;63(10):1405-1415.
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