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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Comparison of the Surface Thermal Patterns of Horses and Don...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2020; 10(12); 2201; doi: 10.3390/ani10122201

Comparison of the Surface Thermal Patterns of Horses and Donkeys in Infrared Thermography Images.

Abstract: Infrared thermography (IRT) is a valuable diagnostic tool in equine veterinary medicine; however, little is known about its application to donkeys. This study aims to find patterns in thermal images of donkeys and horses and determine if these patterns share similarities. The study is carried out on 18 donkeys and 16 horses. All equids undergo thermal imaging with an infrared camera and measurement of the skin thickness and hair coat length. On the class maps of each thermal image, fifteen regions of interest (ROIs) are annotated and then combined into 10 groups of ROIs (GORs). The existence of statistically significant differences between surface temperatures in GORs is tested both "globally" for all animals of a given species and "locally" for each animal. Two special cases of animals that differed from the rest are also discussed. The results indicate that the majority of thermal patterns are similar for both species; however, average surface temperatures in horses (22.72±2.46 °C) are higher than in donkeys (18.88±2.30 °C). This could be related to differences in the skin thickness and hair coat. The patterns of both species are associated with GORs, rather than with an individual ROI, and there is a higher uniformity in the donkeys' patterns.
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Publication Date: 2020-11-24 PubMed ID: 33255408PubMed Central: PMC7760903DOI: 10.3390/ani10122201Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research focuses on comparing the surface thermal patterns of horses and donkeys using infrared thermography images. The results demonstrate that while most thermal patterns are similar for both species, average surface temperatures in horses are higher than in donkeys.

Use of Infrared Thermography

  • Infrared Thermography (IRT) is a diagnostic tool used commonly in veterinary medicine, specifically for equine(subjects related to horses).
  • This study aims at determining the application of IRT in not just horses but also donkeys. It seeks to identify and compare thermal patterns, which can provide insights into the health and physiology of these animals.

Study and Methodology

  • The study involved a total of 34 equids, a term used to describe horses and donkeys, of which 18 were donkeys and 16 horses.
  • All these animals were subjected to thermal imaging using an infrared camera. Their skin thickness and hair coat length were also measured.
  • From the obtained thermal image of each animal, fifteen regions of interest (ROIs) were identified. These ROIs were then grouped into 10 subsets, referred to as groups of ROIs (GORs).
  • The researchers then tested for significant temperature differences between the GORs, both at a global level (considering all animals of a particular species) and at a local level (considering each individual animal).

Findings and Conclusion

  • The findings revealed that horses and donkeys share similar thermal patterns, but the average surface temperature of horses (22.72±2.46 °C) is higher than donkeys (18.88±2.30 °C).
  • This difference was attributed to differences in the skin thickness and hair coat between the two species.
  • In terms of correlation with thermal patterns, these patterns were associated with GORs, rather than individual ROIs.
  • Furthermore, the thermal pattern uniformity was found to be higher in donkeys than in horses which may have physiological implications for the animals.
  • There were also some special cases of animals that differed significantly from the rest. These outliers were discussed separately, emphasizing the uniqueness of certain individual animals within a species.

Cite This Article

APA
Domino M, Romaszewski M, Jasiński T, Maśko M. (2020). Comparison of the Surface Thermal Patterns of Horses and Donkeys in Infrared Thermography Images. Animals (Basel), 10(12), 2201. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122201

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 12
PII: 2201

Researcher Affiliations

Domino, Małgorzata
  • Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS-SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland.
Romaszewski, Michał
  • Institute of Theoretical and Applied Informatics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
Jasiński, Tomasz
  • Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS-SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland.
Maśko, Małgorzata
  • Department of Animal Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS-SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Domino M, Borowska M, Zdrojkowski Ł, Jasiński T, Sikorska U, Skibniewski M, Maśko M. Application of the Two-Dimensional Entropy Measures in the Infrared Thermography-Based Detection of Rider: Horse Bodyweight Ratio in Horseback Riding.. Sensors (Basel) 2022 Aug 13;22(16).
    doi: 10.3390/s22166052pubmed: 36015813google scholar: lookup
  2. Nocera I, Bonelli F, Turini L, Madrigali A, Aliboni B, Sgorbini M. Evaluation of Ultrasound Measurement of Subcutaneous Fat Thickness in Dairy Jennies during the Periparturient Period.. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 26;12(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12111359pubmed: 35681823google scholar: lookup
  3. Domino M, Borowska M, Kozłowska N, Trojakowska A, Zdrojkowski Ł, Jasiński T, Smyth G, Maśko M. Selection of Image Texture Analysis and Color Model in the Advanced Image Processing of Thermal Images of Horses following Exercise.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 12;12(4).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12040444pubmed: 35203152google scholar: lookup
  4. Domino M, Borowska M, Kozłowska N, Zdrojkowski Ł, Jasiński T, Smyth G, Maśko M. Advances in Thermal Image Analysis for the Detection of Pregnancy in Horses Using Infrared Thermography.. Sensors (Basel) 2021 Dec 28;22(1).
    doi: 10.3390/s22010191pubmed: 35009733google scholar: lookup
  5. Maśko M, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O, Jasiński T, Domino M. Thermal features, ambient temperature and hair coat lengths: Limitations of infrared imaging in pregnant primitive breed mares within a year.. Reprod Domest Anim 2021 Oct;56(10):1315-1328.
    doi: 10.1111/rda.13994pubmed: 34310786google scholar: lookup
  6. Maśko M, Zdrojkowski Ł, Wierzbicka M, Domino M. Association between the Area of the Highest Flank Temperature and Concentrations of Reproductive Hormones during Pregnancy in Polish Konik Horses-A Preliminary Study.. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 23;11(6).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11061517pubmed: 34071111google scholar: lookup
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