Measurement of body temperature by use of auricular thermometers versus rectal thermometers in dogs with otitis externa

Objective-To compare measurements of body temperature obtained with auricular thermometers versus rectal thermometers in dogs with otitis externa. Design-Prospective study. Animals-100 client-owned dogs: 50 with and 50 without clinical evidence of otitis externa. Procedure-Dogs were evaluated for the presence of otitis externa on the basis of clinical signs, otoscopic examination, and cytologic evaluation of ear exudate. Auricular and rectal temperatures were obtained simultaneously in all dogs prior to and following ear examination. Results-There was a high correlation between auricular and rectal temperatures in dogs with otitis externa both prior to and after ear manipulation. Significant differences were not detected in temperature measurements among dogs with different degrees of otitis externa. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Auricular temperature readings obtained by use of an auricular thermometer in dogs with otitis externa are accurate measurements of body temperature, compared with rectal temperature measurements. Temperature measurements are reliable before and after examination of the ear canal.