Digital thermometers: Maybe not a good idea...

Over the years, I have used digital and traditional mercury thermometers. In the course of obsessing over illness, I have often taken Harv's temp with both types, and have noted that digital thermometers tend to give lower readings than mercury--by up to one degree.

It happened again during Harv's laminitic episode, and I decided to investigate. See the below study and its abstract:

Hine L, Laven RA, Sahu SK. An analysis of the effect of thermometer type and make on rectal temperature measurements of cattle, horses, and sheep, New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Vol. 62, March 2015.

 "Make of thermometer can influence rectal temperature measurements. In this study, digital thermometers generally recorded lower temperatures than mercury thermometers and had the highest variance. If digital thermometers are to be recommended for use in livestock, particularly in cattle and horses, robust data are needed showing that the specific make is reliable."

Dover Saddlery sells digital thermometers specifically for horses -- I wonder if they're better...