PSA for TSC thermometers

[ASB_Stars]

I bought a couple of thermometers from TSC, and went to use one last week for a horse who has been recovering from an issue. It read 103.2 once, and I switched to the other one- and it said 103.4. I called my Vet, who came out as an emergency, and when she took his temp with her thermometer which was a brand new digital, his temp was 99.6. We confirmed hers. I did contact TSC, and the manager was great, and they did refund my money. I got to keep the emergency fee.

My Vet informed me that since the thermometers are not made with mercury, they have issues and are inaccurate. She recommends the ones sold at CVS. Since TSC sells items for animals, one would think…but they are made in China, as is just about everything TSC sells that isn’t feed.

I thought I would share my experience- be careful!

[trubandloki]

Wait, there are thermometers that are not made in china?
I feel like they are all made in China now.

I looked at the CVS site and all their digital thermometers are made in China that I saw.

[ASB_Stars]

Perhaps some actually still have mercury!

My comment about being made in China is based upon having worked at TSC, and being amazed how much was Chinese made.

[No1]

I’m pretty sure no digital thermometers contain mercury so I’m not sure what that has to do with anything? Where you using a glass thermometer that was supposed to have mercury in it?

[trubandloki]

@No1

I’m pretty sure no digital thermometers contain mercury so I’m not sure what that has to do with anything?

This is my thought too.

I Googled for a bit and this was basically confirmed.

On the CVS website nothing comes up when you search for Mercury Thermometer so I am not even sure CVS has one.

[emeraldcity]

@ASB_Stars

My comment about being made in China is based upon having worked at TSC, and being amazed how much was Chinese made.

In general, MOST low cost goods in the US are made in China, or another similarly low-manufacturing-cost area. Things just cannot be sold cheaply that are manufactured in higher COL countries. So given that TSC sells largely low cost goods, it would follow that most of them are made in China. The same will be true of much of what is in CVS or similar.

[ASB_Stars]

I like the old fashioned ones, and I am figuring that I will wind up with a digital.

[ASB_Stars]

@trubandloki

This is my thought too.

I Googled for a bit and this was basically confirmed.

On the CVS website nothing comes up when you search for Mercury Thermometer so I am not even sure CVS has one.

I don’t think that I said that the digitals had mercury, but clearly I should have explained myself better.

Point of this is that I found TWO regular old style thermometers at TSC, and both were defective.

[trubandloki]

Thank you for clarifying.

[Simkie]

I’ll put a plug in for this one while we’re here.

Quicktemp Digital Thermometer

I’ve had this thing for…over twenty years. I’ve replaced the battery once. It’s pretty much indestructible. Only complaint is it doesn’t beep–you’ve got to watch for when it settles on a temp.

[Ghazzu]

Mercury thermometers are no longer permitted to be manufactured.
There are some non-electronic ones out there–IIRC, they contain alcohol.
I’d suggest that, when purchasing a new thermometer, you then proceed to take baseline temperatures on healthy animals to get a feeling for how it registers.
Then you have a basis for comparison.

[ASB_Stars]

Thanks! I generally wind up replacing them in a hurry! I need to go buy new ones (I always try to have two on hand)

I guess I am going to have to go digital

[NaturallyHappy]

This is a great idea. Thank you!

[spacehorse]

I also had same experience with TSC thermometer…totally off. Went to digital.

[goodhors]

Thanks for this. I just got an “animal thermometer” with the eye for a string and clip. I will test it, maybe have to return it.

I was thinking how great to find an “old fashion” horse thermometer, price was reasonable, so I snagged one. Never read the card, did not know mercury was no longer allowed to be used!! I have a couple old mercury thermometers and a digital one in the barn. This was just a spare. With spares you never drop them or have a battery go dead on you!

My digital is a yellow duck-head one. Very visible in the first-aid box, stall window ledge, not EVER going to get taken to the house for human use. Must be 8-10 years old, had one battery replacement. I do store the battery OUT of the thermometer so I can see it in the little plastic bag for age corrosion. No sneaky corrosion wrecking the digital’s insides while stored. Bag is rubber banded to the digital thermometer.

Had corroded batteries wreck some flashlights “stuck in handy places” where they did not get used often. Batteries died and leaked. Had to throw the flashlights and batteries away.

[Maude]

I’ve given up on digital since they seem to be all over the place in results. I just don’t trust them other than to get a ballpark number. I just used the old fashioned Mercury thermometers that you have to insert for 4 minutes. That 4 minutes is fine with me to have peace of mind knowing that I got a correct reading I just used the old fashioned Mercury thermometers that you have to insert for 4 minutes. That 4 minutes is fine with me to have peace of mind knowing that I got a correct reading.

[ASB_Stars]

I’d love to have an old mercury one, but mine are gone, and you can’t buy them.

[Maude]

How Accurate is Your Equine Thermometer? - Kentucky Equine Research

[Texarkana]

You would think since digital thermometers have become standard that the quality would be improving and they would be more accurate.

But literally the only digital thermometer I have that consistently works is one from circa 2004. The battery died, so I bought about a half dozen other digital thermometers to replace it, all of which stopped working within weeks or gave wildly inconsistent readings.

I replaced the battery in the 2004 thermometer and it’s as good as ever.

[Simkie]

I feel like it’s the opposite–the price point (cheap) and availability (everywhere) of digital thermometers usually means they’re just garbage. It’s not like what we can pick up at the supermarket is considered anything other than flat out disposable. They’re not “standard” in any industry where it matters. They’re practically a novelty item.

That’s what I like about the one I linked above. It’s actual laboratory equipment. It’s manufactured to a standard. It’s not cheap, and it’s not built to just throw away.

Hell, you can even calibrate it, if you find it drifts after awhile!