The thermal image of a healthy animal is symmetrical and no side differences can be found.
As part of a wider research, we screened several stalls in the piggery to identify potential health problems that had not been previously identified. Thermal imaging revealed, for example, the pig in the example below with one ear significantly warmer than the other.
- The right ear was drooping but otherwise looked perfectly normal.
- The pig was caught and the ear was checked – a long, fresh wound was found below the earlobe
- The drooping ear was 7.0 °C warmer than the healthy one
The average temperature measured in the right ear was 7.0 °C higher than in the left ear. The thermal image also shows the extent of the warmer area.
- The wound under the ear could not be seen from the outside
- Thermal imaging helped to identify the need for treatment before the problem got worse
