Increase of Body Temperature Immediately After Ovulation in Mares.

The article focuses on researching the relationship between ovulation timing and body temperature shifts in mares. It looks at the use of body temperature monitoring as a non-invasive method to detect ovulation, essential for successful insemination.

Objective and Methodology

• The goal of this study is to determine the link between the point of ovulation and changes in the body temperature of mares.
• 21 mares and 70 estrous cycles were observed in this experimental group.
• When the mares began to exhibit symptoms of estrus, they received an intramuscular injection of deslorelin acetate in the evening. Body temperature monitoring via a sensor affixed to the left lateral thorax was initiated at this point and carried on for over 60 hours.
• Every two hours, transrectal ultrasonography was performed to determine the timing of ovulation.

Findings

• The study found that in the six-hour window following ovulation detection, the average body temperature rose by an average of 0.06°C +/- 0.05°C, which is significant when compared to the body temperature at the same time on the preceding day (P = .01).
• It was also discovered that the administration of PGF for estrus induction had a significant effect on body temperature, causing it to be significantly higher up until six hours before ovulation when compared to that of uninduced cycles (P = .005).

Conclusion

• Body temperature changes in mares during estrus correlated with ovulation time, with body temperature rising immediately after ovulation.
• This discovery could be used in the future development of automatic and non-invasive systems for tracking ovulation. Yet, the detected temperature increase is quite small on average, making it scarcely identifiable in individual mares.