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Body temperature changes in dogs exposed to varying effective temperatures
Laboratory Animal Science
|April 1, 1984
Summary
Higher environmental temperatures significantly increase rectal temperature in Beagle dogs. A temperature of 32.6°C or greater caused a 1.1°C rise in all dogs, indicating heat stress thresholds.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Physiology
- Environmental Health
- Animal Thermoregulation
Background:
- Understanding canine thermoregulation is crucial for animal welfare and research.
- Environmental temperature significantly impacts physiological responses in domestic animals.
- Beagle dogs are a common model organism in physiological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the effective temperature thresholds that induce a significant rise in rectal temperature in Beagle dogs.
- To investigate the relationship between environmental temperature and the time course of rectal temperature increase.
- To compare thermoregulatory responses between male and female Beagle dogs.
Main Methods:
- Eight adult Beagle dogs were exposed to 23 different effective temperatures ranging from 21.1°C to 34.7°C.
- Rectal temperature was monitored using thermistor probes every 5 minutes for up to 2 hours.
- The study recorded the temperature at which a 1.1°C increase in rectal temperature occurred or the 2-hour exposure limit was reached.
Main Results:
- A 1.1°C rectal temperature increase was observed in 100% of dogs at effective temperatures of 32.6°C and above.
- No dogs showed a temperature rise at or below 28.4°C.
- The time to reach a 1.1°C rise was inversely correlated with increasing effective temperature (P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Effective temperatures above 32.6°C pose a risk of heat stress in Beagle dogs.
- The threshold for heat-induced rectal temperature rise is identifiable and quantifiable.
- No significant sex-based difference was found in the minimum effective temperature required to elicit a 1.1°C rectal temperature increase in Beagles.