An investigation into factors influencing basal eye temperature in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) when measured using infrared thermography in field conditions

Abstract. The Blanca Serrana goat is selected for meat production and usually raised in an extensive farm system. The meat goat industry is getting bigger in Spain, evolving to more intensive farming systems. The negative influence of stress produced by daily management on animal welfare is even bigger in these animals as they are not used to getting so close to humans. Eye temperature has recently appeared as an appropriate and noninvasive tool for welfare assessment in cattle, but no previous studies have been developed in goats. Thus, the main aim of this pilot study was to test eye temperature as a noninvasive tool to explore stress levels associated with a semi-intensive farming system for meat goats in comparison with the standard measurements of stress. For that, 24 Blanca Serrana goats were used. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and eye temperature (ET), assessed with infrared thermography samples, were collected just before and just after a stressful situation created to check how the routine management of semi-intensive farming systems affected this species. A factorial ANOVA, least square means and Scheffé post hoc comparison analyses found statistically significant differences due to the stress test moment for RR (p < 0.05) and ET (p < 0.001) with higher values shown after the stress test than before it. Differences due to age were found just for HR (p < 0.05) and RR (p < 0.01) stress parameters, with kids showing higher results than adults. Pearson correlations between HR, RR and ET parameters showed a medium–high positive correlation of 0.56 between RR and ET. Thus, ET appears as an appropriate and noninvasive tool to explore stress levels associated with a semi-intensive farming system for meat goats.

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Factors Influencing the Efficiency and Attractiveness of Land Snails to Different Baits under Laboratory and Field Conditions, at Sharkia Governorate

Journal of Plant Protection and Pathology ◽

10.21608/jppp.2020.108837 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 337-342

Author(s):

M. I. A. El-Bakhshawngi ◽

M. H. E. Lokma ◽

Samah AbdEl-Kader

Keyword(s):

Land Snails ◽

Field Conditions ◽

Factors Influencing

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Comparative Anatomy of the Nuchal Ligament Lamellae and Cervical Interspinous Ligament in Zebrines (Horse and Zebra) and Asinines (Donkey)

10.20944/preprints202002.0328.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sharon May-Davis ◽

Robert Hunter ◽

Wendy Y. Brown

Keyword(s):

Comparative Anatomy ◽

Cervical Vertebrae ◽

Equus Caballus ◽

Dorsal Spine ◽

Domestic Horse ◽

Interspinous Ligament ◽

Attachment Sites ◽

Close Relatives ◽

Nuchal Ligament

A recent study postulated the reduction in nuchal ligament lamellae attachments from C2-C7 to primarily C2-C5, occurred after domestication in modern horse (Equus caballus). It further identified that close relatives of E. caballus still retained the nuchal ligament lamellae from C2-C7, whether the equid was a zebrine or asinine. To date, the morphology of the attachment sites of the nuchal ligament lamellae to the cervical vertebrae between zebrines and asinines have not been investigated. In this study, zebrines were represented by domestic horse, Przewalski’s horse, close descendants of Equus ferus ferus and zebra; asinines were represented by donkeys. Comparative anatomy revealed that in zebrines the nuchal ligament lamellae attached to the eminence of the cervical dorsal spines with triangular apertures between each attachment and when attached to C6 and C7, the apertures elongated dorsally. Furthermore, the cervical interspinous ligament attached to each cervical dorsal spine forming a ligamentous base to each aperture from C2-T1. In asinines, the findings revealed the nuchal ligament lamellae attached to the entire dorsal eminence including the cervical dorsal spines from C2-C7, and neither apertures nor cervical interspinous ligaments were present. These informative results may benefit studies involving equid biomechanics and Palaeontologists identifying individual cervical specimens.

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A review of factors influencing defect detection in infrared thermography: Applications to coated materials

Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation ◽

10.1007/bf00567440 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 89-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mark P. Connolly

Keyword(s):

Infrared Thermography ◽

Defect Detection ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Coated Materials

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Validation of Eye Temperature Assessed Using Infrared Thermography as an Indicator of Welfare in Horses

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11167186 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (16) ◽

pp. 7186

Author(s):

Su-Min Kim ◽

Gil-Jae Cho

Keyword(s):

Infrared Thermography ◽

Medial Canthus ◽

Average Temperature ◽

Horse Riding ◽

Lateral Canthus ◽

Accurate Definition ◽

Accurate Position ◽

Definition Of ◽

Suitable Area ◽

Eye Temperature

This study aimed to validate eye temperature (ET) assessed using infrared thermography (IRT) as an indicator of welfare in horses. Moreover, this study aimed to determine the most accurate position for ET measured using IRT and to validate this approach as a gold-standard measurement method. As the quantitative data obtained by IRT have strongly influenced the ET results depending on the specific location of the measurement area, an accurate definition of the regions of interest (ROI) was established. A total of 176 horses (Thoroughbred, Warmblood, and Halla horses) were used at the racing course of the Korea Racing Authority and public horse-riding clubs in South Korea. The present study also compared temperatures among three ROIs of the eye—lacrimal sac, medial canthus, and lateral canthus—at rest. Correlations between ET, rectal temperature (RT), heart rate (HR), and respiratory rate (RR) were assessed. There were no significant correlations between HR, RR or RT; however, among the three ROIs, the temperature of the medial canthus was positively correlated with RT (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the size of ROI was negatively correlated with accuracy of temperature measurement. These results indicate that the most suitable area for ET measurement using IRT in horses is the medial canthus, and it is recommended to use the average temperature of the smallest ROIs (2 × 2 pixels) for temperature analysis. Therefore, this study offers a validated protocol in which ET measured using IRT in the horses is useful as an indicator of welfare.

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