Is Continuous Monitoring of Skin Surface Temperature a Reliable Proxy to Assess the Thermoregulatory Response in Endurance Horses During Field Exercise?

Verdegaal, E. J. M. M.; Howarth, Gordon S.; McWhorter, Todd J.; Delesalle, Cathérine

doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.894146

Cited by 4 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 92 publications

(209 reference statements)

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“…Overall body temperature in mammals is divided into an inner core body temperature (T c ) and an outer shell temperature. T c in horses is regulated within a narrow range (37.4–38.0 °C), while shell temperature varies more widely in response to ongoing central thermoregulatory processes [ 24 , 26 ]. The inner core temperature refers to deep-body temperatures, while shell temperature includes intramuscular, subcutaneous, and surface skin temperatures (T sk ).…”

Section: Thermoregulation: Core Vs Shell Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In several studies, IRT has been used as an indicator of stress, but those studies investigated only a limited number of horses (five horses) [ 44 , 46 , 65 , 66 ] and one study investigated the correlation of increased T sk with blood lactate concentration post exercise in 30 horses [ 67 ]. Lastly, infrared contact sensors (IRCSs) are contact-based sensors using infrared technology to measure T sk [ 24 , 60 ].…”

Section: Skin Temperature Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, from an animal welfare perspective, it is paramount and timely to prevent occurrence of heat stress on all occasions. The aforementioned welfare issues are a concerning reality that is motivating research groups worldwide to develop practical methods for reliable monitoring during field exercise to ensure the thermoregulatory welfare of horses [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ]. To achieve this, there is a need for minimally invasive body temperature monitoring systems, also termed ‘heat monitoring’.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an ideal world, all temperature monitoring equipment including wearable technological tools should be non-invasive and enable horse owners and veterinarians to have a continuous real-time view of the evolution of body temperature during exercise in the field [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. An approach that is gaining popularity for monitoring the thermoregulatory response is the follow-up of the T sk in horses performing in the field exercise using wearable T sk equipment [ 24 ]. While this equipment provides output of physiological data, the question remains whether these data have physiological relevance for the evolution of the core body temperature, which is the core point of interest to safeguard welfare in a reliable way.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermoregulation during Field Exercise in Horses Using Skin Temperature Monitoring

Verdegaal,

Howarth,

McWhorter

et al. 2023

Animals

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Hyperthermia and exertional heat illness (EHI) are performance and welfare issues for all exercising horses. Monitoring the thermoregulatory response allows for early recognition of metabolic heat accumulation during exercise and the possibility of taking prompt and effective preventative measures to avoid a further increase in core body temperature (Tc) leading to hyperthermia. Skin temperature (Tsk) monitoring is most used as a non-invasive tool to assess the thermoregulatory response pre- and post-exercise, particularly employing infrared thermographic equipment. However, only a few studies have used thermography to monitor skin temperature continuously during exercise. This commentary provides an overview of studies investigating surface skin temperature mainly by infrared thermography (IRT) during exercise. The scientific evidence, including methodologies, applications, and challenges associated with (continuous) skin temperature monitoring in horses during field exercise, is discussed. The commentary highlights that, while monitoring Tsk is straightforward, continuous Tsk alone does not always reliably estimate Tc evolvement during field exercise. In addition, inter-individual differences in thermoregulation need to be recognized and accounted for to optimize individual wellbeing. With the ongoing development and application of advanced wearable monitoring technology, there may be future advances in equipment and modeling for timely intervention with horses at hyperthermic risk to improve their welfare. However, at this point, infrared thermographic assessment of Tsk should always be used in conjunction with other clinical assessments and veterinary examinations for a reliable monitoring of the welfare of the horse.

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Section: Thermoregulation: Core Vs Shell Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Skin Temperature Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermoregulation during Field Exercise in Horses Using Skin Temperature Monitoring

Verdegaal,

Howarth,

McWhorter

et al. 2023

Animals

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The effect of the surgical treatment of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome on the thermoregulatory response to exercise in French bulldogs: a pilot study

Žgank,

Nemec Svete,

Lenasi

et al. 2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

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IntroductionDue to altered anatomy of the upper respiratory tract, brachycephalic dogs exhibit increased airway resistance and reduced surface area for evaporative heat loss, predisposing them to respiratory and thermoregulatory problems, a syndrome referred to as Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Compared to non-brachycephalic dogs, brachycephalic breeds are more susceptible to heat-related injuries even at low ambient temperatures and relatively low physical activity levels. Surgical treatment alleviates clinical signs, potentially improving dogs’ thermoregulatory ability with BOAS. Our study aimed to investigate the thermoregulatory response in French bulldogs before and after the surgical correction of BOAS, respectively.MethodsThirteen dogs were exposed to dynamic exercise on a treadmill and the dynamics of their rectal temperature (RT) and heart rate (HR) was measured. The experiment was performed in two independent sessions, before and after the surgical treatment. The test consisted of two consecutive 5-min walks at a speed of 2.5 km/h, first at an inclination of 0% and the second at an inclination of 5%, and a 30-min recovery period. Rectal temperature and HR were measured before the start of the test (t0), at the end of the first (t1) and the second part (t2), and 15 min (t3) and 30 min (t4) in the recovery.ResultsA significant increase in RT and HR was observed during exercise and recovery compared to the resting values, implying that the exercise intensity was sufficient to challenge the thermoregulatory response. The increase of RT was significantly lower during both parts (t1: p = 0.004; t2: p < 0.001) of exercise after the surgical treatment than before the treatment. Although a trend of lower RT after recovery was observed compared to before the surgery, it did not reach statistical significance. Similarly to RT, the HR was significantly lower during exercise after the first (p = 0.020) and the second part (p = 0.011) of exercise after the surgery compared to before the surgery but did not reach significance in the recovery.ConclusionSurgical treatment of BOAS can improve thermoregulation during exercise in French bulldogs with BOAS.

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The Welfare of Horses Competing in Three-Barrel Race Events Is Shown to Be Not Inhibited by Short Intervals between Starts

Filho,

Trindade,

Silva

et al. 2024

Animals

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Equestrian sports require precise animal welfare and health evaluations. To test the hypothesis that horses maintain their welfare when subjected to two three-barrel (3TB) races with 2 min intervals, an experiment was designed to evaluate their surface temperature using infrared thermography (IRT) in regions of interest (barrel, flank, neck, jaw, corner of the mouth, and ocular caruncle) and also measure blood biomarkers (hemogram, total plasma protein, fibrinogen, urea, creatinine, GGT, CK, cortisol, IL-6, and IL-1β). Ten Quarter Horses were monitored through thermography (pre-race, +1, +4, and +24 h post-race) and blood sampling (pre-race, +1, +4, and +24 h post-race). ANOVA and Tukey test at 5% were used. IRT in six regions of interest (Left/Right—barrel, flank, neck muscles) increased at +, with no differences between values recorded at +1 and +4 when compared to those measured pre-race (p > 0.05). Plasma protein, RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, WBC count, neutrophils, and lymphocytes (p < 0.05) increased immediately after the races, with recovery at +1 h. Other biomarkers did not change, including cortisol, IL-6, and IL-1β (p > 0.05). Results indicate that well-conditioned 3TB horses subjected to two races at short intervals do not show changes that could be related to impaired health or welfare.

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Is Continuous Monitoring of Skin Surface Temperature a Reliable Proxy to Assess the Thermoregulatory Response in Endurance Horses During Field Exercise?

Cited by 4 publications

References 92 publications

Thermoregulation during Field Exercise in Horses Using Skin Temperature Monitoring

Thermoregulation during Field Exercise in Horses Using Skin Temperature Monitoring

The effect of the surgical treatment of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome on the thermoregulatory response to exercise in French bulldogs: a pilot study

The Welfare of Horses Competing in Three-Barrel Race Events Is Shown to Be Not Inhibited by Short Intervals between Starts

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