Abubakar Mshelia Saidu1*, Umar Aliyu1, Jamila Audu Idrisa2, Ahmad Hamza Abdullahi1, Laila Adamu Musa1
1Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
2Department of Medicine, College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria
*Corresponding author’s Email: abubakarsm51@gmail.com, doi.org/10.55639/607.020100111
ABSTRACT
Infrared thermography (IRT) was used to characterise postoperative inflammatory responses following common surgical procedures in Nigerian Indigenous Dogs and Sahel goats. Twenty dogs and five goats were assigned to five groups: castration, ovariohysterectomy, gastrotomy, ear cropping, and rumenotomy. Thermal images of surgical sites were obtained using a handheld infrared camera before incision, during surgery, and for seven days after surgery. In goats, wound temperatures were also recorded in the morning and evening to assess diurnal variation. Ovariohysterectomy showed the highest pre-incision temperature (37.92 ± 0.59°C) among canine procedures, with a significant decrease at skin incision (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed among the other canine procedures. Thermographic parameters, including low, high, and central temperatures, did not differ significantly between castration and ovariohysterectomy. In goats, evening wound temperatures after rumenotomy were consistently higher than morning values by 2-4°C, with significant differences on days 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 (p < 0.05). Comparative analysis showed no significant differences between canine gastrotomy and caprine rumenotomy at any sampling period. These findings demonstrate that IRT can detect procedure-specific and diurnal variations in postoperative wound temperature. Standardisation of measurement timing and environmental monitoring is essential for reliable interpretation. With further validation, IRT may serve as a practical, non-invasive tool for monitoring wound healing and identifying postoperative complications in veterinary practice.
KEYWORDS
Thermography,
Inflammation,
Surgery,
Wounds.
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