Infrared Thermography As a Non-invasive Method for Evaluating Stress in Lactating Dairy Cows During Isolation Challenges

Overview

Journal Front Vet Sci

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2023 Sep 25

PMID 37745218

Authors

Madalina Mincu

Ioana Nicolae

Dinu Gavojdian

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The overall objective of the current data report was to evaluate and test the feasibility of using infrared thermography (IRT) as a non-invasive method for measuring stress signs in lactating dairy cows during short negative challenges, such as visual isolation from herd-mates. The study was carried out at the Experimental Farm of the Research and Development Institute for Bovine Romania, on 20 Holstein-Friesian lactating multiparous dairy cows, between August and September 2022. Cows were housed in two identical tied stanchion barns (170/85 cm), and were isolated individually from the herd for 240 min post-morning milking. Our results shown significant ( ≤ 0.05) rises for both orbital and nasal IRT temperatures following the isolation challenge, suggesting that such approaches could represent adequate tools for assessing social stress in cattle. Overall, current results are in accordance with previous studies which validated both eye and nasal regions as IRT thermal windows for studying the effects of painful and negative contexts on stress response in farmed ruminants, while considering the stress-induced hyperthermia as an integral part of the physiological response to negative stimuli, as well as the current limitations that this tool faces.

Citing Articles

Hypothalamic Neuromodulation and Control of the Dermal Surface Temperature of Livestock during Hyperthermia.

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PMID: 38929364 PMC: 11200636. DOI: 10.3390/ani14121745.

Utilization of Infrared Thermography in Assessing Thermal Responses of Farm Animals under Heat Stress.

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