Ozcan Candemir, Safak Tarik, Dellalbasi Ayse Basak, Dogan Elif
Department of Surgery, Kastamonu University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kastamonu, Turkiye.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kastamonu University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kastamonu, Turkiye.
Vet Med Sci. 2025 Jul;11(4):e70482. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70482.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of pregnancy status on corneal temperature (CT) and rectal temperature (RT) in female cats.
Fifteen pregnant and fifteen anoestrus cats were included in this study.
Pregnant cats had gestation periods ranging from 20 to 45 days, and vaginal smears were taken to assess the oestrous cycles of anoestrus cats. CT was measured using a FLIR E90 thermal camera, while RT was measured with a digital thermometer. Statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate temperature differences between the two groups.
Anoestrus cats (38.4 ± 0.55°C) had a significantly higher RT compared to pregnant cats (37.89 ± 0.58°C) (p = 0.02). The right (R) CT of anoestrus cats (36.58 ± 1.19°C) and pregnant cats (36.55 ± 1.41°C) did not differ statistically (p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant difference was observed in the left (L) CT between anoestrus cats (36.94 ± 0.96°C) and pregnant cats (36.18 ± 1.61°C) (p > 0.05). Furthermore, there was no statistical difference between the R-CT and L-CT of the groups (p > 0.05). A positive and linear correlation was found between RT and R-CT in pregnant cats (r = 0.38, R = 0.14), with the regression equation y = -0.14x + 43.63.
This study demonstrates that pregnancy status significantly affects RT but not CT in female cats. Specifically, pregnant cats exhibited statistically lower RT compared to those in anoestrus. However, despite this statistical significance, RT may not be a reliable clinical indicator of pregnancy in cats. RCT is preferable as it provides a stress-free, consistent, and reliable alternative to RT measurement in pregnant cats. Further research is needed to explore more consistent markers for pregnancy status in felines.
本研究旨在调查妊娠状态对雌性猫角膜温度（CT）和直肠温度（RT）的影响。
本研究纳入了15只怀孕猫和15只处于非发情期的猫。
怀孕猫的妊娠期为20至45天，采集阴道涂片以评估非发情期猫的发情周期。使用FLIR E90热成像仪测量CT，同时用数字温度计测量RT。进行统计分析以评估两组之间的温度差异。
与怀孕猫（37.89±0.58°C）相比，非发情期猫（38.4±0.55°C）的RT显著更高（p = 0.02）。非发情期猫（36.58±1.19°C）和怀孕猫（36.55±1.41°C）的右眼（R）CT无统计学差异（p>0.05）。同样，非发情期猫（36.94±0.96°C）和怀孕猫（36.18±1.61°C）的左眼（L）CT也无显著差异（p>0.05）。此外，两组的R-CT和L-CT之间无统计学差异（p>0.05）。在怀孕猫中，RT与R-CT之间存在正线性相关（r = 0.38，R = 0.14），回归方程为y = -0.14x + 43.63。
本研究表明，妊娠状态对雌性猫的RT有显著影响，但对CT无影响。具体而言，与处于非发情期的猫相比，怀孕猫的RT在统计学上更低。然而，尽管存在这种统计学意义，但RT可能不是猫妊娠的可靠临床指标。RCT更可取，因为它为测量怀孕猫的RT提供了一种无压力、一致且可靠的替代方法。需要进一步研究以探索更一致的猫妊娠状态标志物。
