Correlation of temperature-sensing microchip and rectal temperature measurements in cats

Rectal temperature (RT) is the reference standard for clinical evaluation of body temperature in mammals. However, the use of a rectal thermometer to measure temperature can cause stress and other problems, especially in cats. There is a need for clinical techniques that reduce both stress and defensive behavior as part of the provision of better medical care. Subcutaneous temperature-sensing identification microchips fulfil the current legal requirements and provide a reading of subcutaneous temperature (MT). The clinical study tried to determine whether there is agreement between MT and RT in normal ( = 58), hospitalized ( = 26) and sedated/anesthetized ( = 36) cats. Three measurements were taken using both methods (MT and RT) in each cat. Correlation between MT and RT, and differences between MT and RT, were estimated for pairs of data-points from the same individual, and all data pairs in each group were considered overall. There was a strong positive correlation between MT and RT ( = 0.7 to 1.0) (