Use of Infrared Thermography during Ejaculation Process and Its Link with Semen Quality and Freezability in Dogs

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Scientific attention to infrared technology has grown over the last decade. Remote and non-invasive monitoring techniques are of great importance in discovering ejaculation response and future trends because of their role in vascular flux regulation. However, detailed information about its use in andrology has yet to be fully explained. Therefore, we aimed to reveal information about the amount of sperm to be obtained by observing stress levels with non-invasive eye temperature measurement, and the relationship between various reproductive temperature patterns and parameters of the animal’s various physiological conditions such as age, body condition, total ejaculation time and testicular volume. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to describe the thermal variation of external reproductive tracts during ejaculation in relation to sperm quality in dogs. Forty-six adult fertile dogs were monitored using a thermal camera before, during and after the semen collection, taking into account penile and scrotal temperatures as reproductive thermal patterns while eye and perianal temperatures were recorded as complementary thermal patterns of behavioral response. The parameters were classified depending on age (≤4 years and >4 years), body weight (BW) (≤75 kg and >75 kg), sperm concentration (CON) (≤300 million and >300 million), total testicular volume (TTV) (≤600 cm(3) and >600 cm(3)) and total ejaculation time (TET) (≤800 s and >800 s) of the animals from which semen was collected successfully. Heavier males (p < 0.05) that have more consistent testicles (p < 0.01) as well as quicker ejaculate responders (p < 0.001) and lower scrotal temperature had better semen (Δ motility) freezability. The lower eye temperature prior to the ejaculation (p < 0.01), lower scrotal temperature following ejaculation (p < 0.01), and conversely, higher penile temperature during the ejaculation (p < 0.001) had a higher sperm concentration. Furthermore, the sperm freezability was negatively correlated with total ejaculation time (r = −0.39, p < 0.05) and sperm abnormalities were lower in the ejaculate of dogs having a higher temperature of the scrotum, bulbus and penis. In conclusion, infrared monitoring throughout semen collection in dogs can provide information on behavioral reactions during human manipulation, as well as semen quality and testicular functionality.