Abstract

Estimating core body temperature is an important step in veterinary practices to assess animal health. For cats, rectal thermometry is the standard method despite considerable research on low-stress and less invasive alternatives. In 2023, a small study comparing the auricular Pet-Temp Instant Ear Thermometer to rectal temperature was done and a moderate positive correlation was identified (r=0.5, P=0.003). The purpose of our study was to further investigate this auricular thermometer, and the correlation found with a larger sample size of 50 cats. In total, 90% of the rectal and auricular temperatures were different. The statistical difference between the rectal and auricular temperature readings was found to be significant (P=0.0019) with a mean difference of 0.45±0.38 °C. There was a small positive correlation between rectal and auricular temperature (r=0.386, P=0.00567). This means that when in our hands, despite providing similar temperature ranges, this auricular thermometer was significantly different than standard rectal thermometry and may not be ideal for estimating core body temperature in healthy cats in a clinical or research setting.

Keywords:Temperature; Cat; Rectum; Tympanic; Ear; Thermometer