Infrared thermography is a novel tool to assess small intestinal surface temperature in dogs undergoing laparotomy for foreign body obstruction

To evaluate local temperature differences directly over and adjacent to small intestinal foreign body obstruction (FBO) using infrared thermography (IRT) in dogs. 49 client-owned dogs were initially enrolled. In a prospective, clinical observational study, IRT was utilized to compare median small intestinal (SI) surface temperature differences at the site of FBO and segments oral and aboral before and after surgical resolution from April 24, 2019, to July 19, 2020. These differences were evaluated for correlation with canine acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation fast (APPLEfast) scoring, lactate, foreign body material (hard vs soft), and blood pressure. There was not a significant surface temperature difference between SI segments at the site of FBO, oral or aboral. After resolution of obstruction, there was a significant decrease in median temperature directly over the FBO (2.4 degrees C; IQR, -2.55 to 10.6 degrees C; P = .0043). A decrease in surface temperature of the oral SI segment was appreciated with FBO due to hard material (-1.7 degrees C; IQR, -5.2 to 3.4 degrees C), whereas soft material had an increase in SI surface temperature oral to the FBO (+1.1 degrees C; IQR, 0.3 to 3.2 degrees C). This difference did not achieve significance (P = .08; Z = 1.75). No correlation was found between APPLEfast, lactate, or blood pressure and SI segment temperatures. IRT may be useful diagnostic modality to identify changes in small intestinal surface temperature relating to FBO. Further evaluation is warranted to determine if IRT may be a clinically useful to evaluate intestinal perfusion.