Association between axillary and rectal temperatures in clinically healthy rabbits from the UNAM Exotic Pet and Wildlife Teaching Hospital

• Alejandra Rivero-Rodríguez ^[1] ; María Guadalupe Sánchez González ^[1] ; Ricardo Itzcóatl Maldonado-Reséndiz ^[1]
  1. [1] University City, Mexico
• Localización: Austral journal of veterinary sciences, ISSN 0719-8000, ISSN-e 0719-8132, Vol. 58, Nº. 1, 2026, págs. 144-151
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Accurate measurement of body temperature is essential for the clinical evaluation of rabbits. Although rectal temperature (RT) measurement is the standard method, obtaining RT measurements can be stressful for pa-tients. Axillary temperature (AT) measurement is proposed as a less invasive alternative; however, the reliability of AT measurements in rabbits has not been sufficiently evaluated. This study aimed to determine the association between AT and RT measurements in clinically healthy rabbits and to evaluate whether AT measurement can be a reliable alter-native to RT measurement. Thirty-nine clinically healthy rabbits treated at the UNAM Exotic Pet and Wildlife Teach-ing Hospital were evaluated between December 2024 and February 2025. Three measurements of AT and RT were recorded for each individual using a flexible digital thermometer. Averages were calculated, and statistical tests were performed to evaluate differences and correlations between AT and RT. No significant differences were observed in either axillary temperature (P = 0.061) or rectal temperature (P = 0.072) between rabbits. AT was significantly lower than RT, with a mean difference of 2.32 °C (95 % CI: 2.05 – 2.58, P < 0.001). The average AT was 36.37 °C and the average RT was 38.68 °C. RT demonstrated greater repeatability, and the agreement between the two methods was insufficient to consider them interchangeable in clinical practice. Furthermore, the difference between AT and RT increased slightly with increasing body temperature (P = 0.028) and was influenced by body weight (P = 0.003) and body condition score (P = 0.033). AT was not correlated with RT in clinically healthy rabbits, indicating that AT mea-surement is not a reliable alternative for assessing body temperature in this species. The use of RT measurement as a standard method in clinical practice is recommended