Evaluation of Infrared Thermography for Temperature Measurement in Adult Male NMRI Nude Mice

Temperature monitoring during critical care provides important data required to guide treatment delivery. Body temperature is an easily quantified clinical parameter that can yield much information concerning the health of an animal. In research settings, temperature has been adopted as a means to judge humane endpoints. Therefore, reliable, noninvasive, and inexpensive methods for temperature monitoring are becoming a necessity in research laboratories. This study aimed to determine the accuracy and agreement of using an infrared camera as an alternative method of temperature measurement in mice and to compare the accuracy of this noninvasive method with established subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, and rectal techniques. Measurement of body-surface temperature by using an infrared camera was compared with these 3 established methods in male NMRI nude mice (n = 10; age, 10 mo); data were obtained 3 times daily over 14 d. Subcutaneous temperatures were measured remotely by using a previously implanted subcutaneous temperature transponder, after which temperature was measured by using noncontact infrared thermometry and a rectal probe. Measurements from intraperitoneal data loggers were obtained retrospectively. The data show that using an infrared camera provides a simple, reliable method for measuring body temperature in male NMRI nu/nu mice that minimizes handling and is minimally invasive. Whether infrared thermometry is a useful method for measuring body temperature in furred mice warrants further investigation.