Thermometer, do you have one?

Equine thermometer

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The Xmas Furry

The Xmas Furry

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Having always had at least 1 thermometer on the yard and another in the horsebox travel kit, i have been almost astounded that several people i have chatted to over this weekend dont have one.
It was after asking one friend what her horse's temp was when she said he had swollen glands on Friday, and she responded that she didnt know, i did a straw poll over the past 2 days. (Horse is ok and temp normal )

My question is, do you have an equine thermometer and do you take temps regularly?
 
Yes I have one but don't see much point in taking it when they're healthy- there's so many causes for variation you could end up over interpreting it.
 
I have one. When i first got Bud I took his temp every day for a couple of weeks. Poor pony... I take it if I call the vet now and have his respiratory and pulse rate handy. I also take it if there's a virus doing the rounds near by to keep a check on him. Everyone seems to ask to borrow it though! And the rest of my first aid kit...
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Having always had at least 1 thermometer on the yard and another in the horsebox travel kit, i have been almost astounded that several people i have chatted to over this weekend dont have one.
It was after asking one friend what her horse's temp was when she said he had swollen glands on Friday, and she responded that she didnt know, i did a straw poll over the past 2 days. (Horse is ok and temp normal )

My question is, do you have an equine thermometer and do you take temps regularly?
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I have had my one for over 15 years in fact closer to 20 years and would not be without one
 
Yes but only take a temperature if I suspect something is up or we are monitoring for some reason. Most people on our yard have one due to a strangles scare.
 
Yes I have one and use it if anything looks off colour. However in an ideal world I would have take temperatures a few times to establish an individuals normal "baseline" temperature so I knew more accurately if there was a significant variation when they were ill.
 
Be warned that thermometers are not always accurate!

A friend of mine worked as a technician for research projects and she had to check the thermometers for accuracy before each project. She said they once threw out a whole boxful. I suppose because they are mass produced.

Also, I know of one animal (not a horse) sent home from intensive care after a serious illness - it wasn't back to normal, but it was thought it would eat better at home. It was to return to intensive care if it didn't improve. The owners took the temperature daily and said that it had almost straight away dropped to normal so it was thought all would be well. The animal got worse and when the vet checked there was a discrepancy of more than 1oC in the thermometers (between vets and owners) and the animal's temperature had not returned to normal at all and when it went a bit 'above normal' according to the owner, it had actually reached critical.

I never used to think about thermometers being so inaccurate but now if one of my animals is showing signs of not being well and the temperature is 'normal' (or lower than i think the signs warrant) I don't assume that everything is okay. I go and buy a new thermometer to double check (remembering that even new thermometers might not be accurate).
 
I have two, its always good to be able to check or have a spare for if one gets lost borrowed. I have done a lot of lending as there are loads of people where I board that don't have them. Seems silly when they are so cheap.
 
rara007 said:
Yes I have one but don't see much point in taking it when they're healthy- there's so many causes for variation you could end up over interpreting it.
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Like people each horse is an individual's vary. Knowing your horses 'Normal' temperature will mean that when you think he is off colour you'll know to what degree.

Some horses have a normal temperature that is lower than the general considered norm. A 1 degree increase for a horse with a lower than normal temperature may only show as half a degree, so looking like there is not much of an increase whereas the increase of 1degree is to be concerned about.
 
I think it's a good idea to take your horses temp when they are well and use the same thermometer each time, this way you know when he's of colour. I write it down on the box I keep the thermometer in.
 
I have one and use it when I suspect something is wrong. I know what's normal for my horses as I've taken it daily for a period in the past at different times of the day. it's all written on a piece of paper that lives in their passports! I started when there was that EHV scare a few years ago.
 
Tnavas said:
Like people each horse is an individual's vary. Knowing your horses 'Normal' temperature will mean that when you think he is off colour you'll know to what degree.
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Yes, I wonder how many people know the normal temperature range of their horse(s).
 
When pony was obviously off colour I took its temperature with a thermometer not used for some time, it read 41.5* so I threw it away as faulty. Rushed to chemist bought a new one and it still read 41.5* cue vet and a peritonitis diagnosis
 
Yes, I know what my horses average range is, so only use it now when I suspect they are not right.

One of the first questions my Vet asks when I call is "what's the temperature?" I'd look a right twit saying "Uhhhhhhhhh, I don't know"
 
Enfys said:
Yes, I know what my horses average range is, so only use it now when I suspect they are not right.

One of the first questions my Vet asks when I call is "what's the temperature?" I'd look a right twit saying "Uhhhhhhhhh, I don't know"
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Exactly. Like you i too would feel a nit if not taken basic obs before calling vet.
For example, often on here posters mention snotty noses etc and ask for possible diagnosis from random strangers. If i respond its to ask what horses temp is, my post is often not responded to, or the op doesn't know. ...
 
Welly said:
I think it's a good idea to take your horses temp when they are well and use the same thermometer each time, this way you know when he's of colour. I write it down on the box I keep the thermometer in.
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I do the same as had to take my horses temp twice a day when she had a virus and once she was back to normal I kept a check and found that hers is a little higher than normal all of the time so I know exactly when to worry!!!
 
Whatever the normal range of Frank I am only likely to worry if it really is properly low or high.

wkiwi don't suppose you know where those thermometers were acquired from/what type they were, it is rare we get a problem with our standard glass or digital ones. In fact I can't ever remember them being out of calibration when checked!
 
I have several thermometers I acquire them from forgetful vets .
Always have one in the lorry as well.
We used to check temps before travelling home after big competitions we never left till temps where normal .
 
I have two, but I don't use them. If anyone can recommend one that doesn't beep I'd be very interested! My lad has no problem with the physical temperature taking exercise, but the beeping sent him absolutely crackers. He's a very laid back boy, usually, but when that damn thing beeped I thought he was going to jump the door to get away from it. He went flying round and round the box, broke out sweating, breathing hard, I could see his heart pounding and his muscles shaking, it was real, genuine terror. I've tried playing beeping noises on my phone to desensitise him, and he isn't interested, it just seems to be that particular tone that terrifies him, and both thermometers have the same noise.
 
Yes I do... Having a thermometer saved Genie's life when she was first ill, and I spent weeks taking her temperature numerous times a day. It now lives outside her stable and the batteries are checked regularly. It turned out I was one of a handful on the large yard I was on at the time who had one, and it was only due to checking her temperature (which was 103.5 on the first instance, 103 the second, and 105.5 the third during that particular reaction) and getting my vet there in minutes that saved her life. My amazing vet literally dropped everything to come to us when she was told what her temperature was.
 
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