Use of Thermography Method in Diagnosis of Horse Diseases

Abstract The paper is focused on the practical use of infrared thermography (IRT) in the diagnosis of clinical or subclinical forms of equine inflammation. The aim of the study was to verify the suitability of IRT for the early detection of areas with the potential existence of inflammation. The verification of findings was carried out through veterinary data (medical reports, radiographs). The study claimed the suitability of the IRT method for practical monitoring and detection of health problems, especially limb diseases – hooves, tendons, muscles (13 horses) as well as dermatological diseases (3 horses). The results showed that the most frequent occurrence of the disease, manifested by muscle and tendon overload and inflammatory processes, is on the limbs. The results claimed a significant difference between the measured temperatures and the typical temperatures of a healthy horse.