Thoughts/opinions on best microchip/best registration

[KatysMom]

Sandy Eckstein, "Microchipping Your Dog or Cat," n.d.? WebMD.

Wow, I didn't realize there were different chip frequencies, different scanners, etc. My late senior (Katy) had an AVID Friend Chip. She was never lost, but I did make sure her chip could be read when we visited a new vet or clinic. Only once was there a problem--and I just made sure they stuck with it until they had a reading.

Article I read talks about two different chip frequencies prevalent in the US, and a quite distinct third used in Europe that is now being used in the US. " Europe uses a 134.2 kilohertz chip. In this country we’ve used 125 and 128 kilohertz chips, although some companies now are implanting the European frequency chips as well."

Apparently not all scanners can read all the chips (presume it depends on the frequency). Indicates some scanners only read one frequency, others read two and only some read all three.

So, what's a wanna-be new mama to do?

What about the registry service? On this, I'm really out of the loop. Is there one master pet registry service, or are there many?

So appreciate input on the chips and chip registry services.

Thank you in advance. --KatysMom

[anakarydas]

All my furbabies are microchiped by Vanguard clinics. I have not idea what kind of microchip they used.....I guess I trust them.... ....should I ask ?????

[KatysMom]

Originally Posted by anakarydas

All my furbabies are microchiped by Vanguard clinics. I have not idea what kind of microchip they used.....I guess I trust them.... ....should I ask ?????

I'm with you.

I didn't think about frequencies or scanner way back when. At about 16 weeks, I took Katy to her breeder's vet for her final set of puppy vaccines. I inquired and had her microchipped during the same visit.

I kept all the paper work and never gave it another thought.

[Lovetodream88]

I didn't really get to pick and just went with my vet. They use AKC reunite. My older girl does not have a chip. Joey does and he got his when he was neutered and Penny does and got hers when she was spayed. Ollie will get one when he gets neutered at 7 months. Since the AKC is the Untied States only reputable registry I would think their chips are good ones.

[KatysMom]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

I didn't really get to pick and just went with my vet. They use AKC reunite. My older girl does not have a chip. Joey does and he got his when he was neutered and Penny does and got hers when she was spayed. Ollie will get one when he gets neutered at 7 months. Since the AKC is the Untied States only reputable registry I would think their chips are good ones.

From what I can learn, AKC pet identifiers (microchips) and it also runs a registry--AKC Reunite. Based on my read through of the website, they offer different chips--one is called a "Indi Minichip"--it would not be suitable for a yorkie. [1] Another is seems to what we more traditionally think of as a chip. AKC's is by Trovan and uses the European frequency. At least I think these are called "Indigo ISO+ Pet Microchips."

AKC Reunite is their registry. At least it seems as though you can use that registry even if you haven't used their chips.

[1] "This product is NOT recommended for horses, pets with dense or long coats, pets with thick folds of skin or in pets with a potential to become obese."

[lilgidget]

I took Gidget to our Vet and he handled everything.

[KatysMom]

Originally Posted by lilgidget

I took Gidget to our Vet and he handled everything.

Hi lilgidget,

Thank you.

I called the vet's office where Katy was so well cared for during the last year of her life. I talked with a gal at the front desk. They don't carry the AKC chip. She believed the chip they install is called "PetLink," but that seems to be a registry (rather than a chip).

She also told me they use three different scanners to read the chips on pups brought to the clinic. (Which seems consistent with the three different frequencies I mentioned in the original post.)

[gracielove]

Microchipping can be different in different regions. If you basically stay in the same area with your dog then ask your vet and the local animal shelter what microchip brand is most commonly used in your area. You can have the best brand in the world but if it cannot be detected by local officials then it will do you little good. I really don't know what people do who travel a lot with their dogs.

[KatysMom]

Thank you gracielove.

Located this 2015 series of two articles on LostDogsofAmerica.

"The Microchip Maze -- Buyer Beware (Part 1- The 900 Chips)"

"The Microchip Maze - Searching the Databases (Part 2)"

The first article stresses the importance of chips that support coding by the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR). At least as of the article date, author calls out the "big 5 microchip companies" saying their chips have the right coding.[1] The five companies with the coding are:

*PetLink
*Home Again
*AKC
*AVID
*24 Petwatch

According to the author, there are many, many smaller companies using cheaper chips that share a "900" code. (Six companies/brands are mentioned by name.) Because the companies are sharing the chip code, it is apparently a more complicated process ("quagmire") to wade through all the steps necessary to identify the pups owner. Article suggests this likely prevents many pups from being reunited.

Second article is focused on the registries. Mentions a tool created by the American Animal Hospital Association--"AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool." This application "enables veterinarians, shelters, animal control facilities, pet owners or the public to search various registries and identify those registries on which a particular microchip is registered."

At the time the second article was written/edited, only four of the big five microchip companies were participating in AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup. (AVID, which supplied my late Katy's chip, was not participating.) Current list of participating brands is here.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by KatysMom

Thank you gracielove.

Located this 2015 series of two articles on LostDogsofAmerica.

"The Microchip Maze -- Buyer Beware (Part 1- The 900 Chips)"

"The Microchip Maze - Searching the Databases (Part 2)"

The first article stresses the importance of chips that support coding by the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR). At least as of the article date, author calls out the "big 5 microchip companies" saying their chips have the right coding.[1] The five companies with the coding are:

*PetLink
*Home Again
*AKC
*AVID
*24 Petwatch

According to the author, there are many, many smaller companies using cheaper chips that share a "900" code. (Six companies/brands are mentioned by name.) Because the companies are sharing the chip code, it is apparently a more complicated process ("quagmire") to wade through all the steps necessary to identify the pups owner. Article suggests this likely prevents many pups from being reunited.

Second article is focused on the registries. Mentions a tool created by the American Animal Hospital Association--"AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool." This application "enables veterinarians, shelters, animal control facilities, pet owners or the public to search various registries and identify those registries on which a particular microchip is registered."

At the time the second article was written/edited, only four of the big five microchip companies were participating in AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup. (AVID, which supplied my late Katy's chip, was not participating.) Current list of participating brands is here.

I’m not sure if it’s helping you at all but your research is making me feel good about my chips

[pstinard]

Bella has a HomeAgain chip, which is manufactured by Merck. It was sold through our vet. We do not pay extra for the annual registry--once the animal is chipped, it's in their system permanently. The extra bells and whistles for $19.99 per year are not necessary. It's a high quality chip. I'm not sure of the frequency, but most dog chip scanners read all chip frequencies anyway. Here is their website: Pet Microchip FAQs for Vets & Shelters | HomeAgain Pet Microchip. From the website: "Once registered, microchips remain in the HomeAgain database permanently and may be updated online at no charge anytime by logging into HomeAgain.com, regardless of annual membership status."

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by pstinard

Bella has a HomeAgain chip, which is manufactured by Merck. It was sold through our vet. We do not pay extra for the annual registry--once the animal is chipped, it's in their system permanently. The extra bells and whistles for $19.99 per year are not necessary. It's a high quality chip. I'm not sure of the frequency, but most dog chip scanners read all chip frequencies anyway. Here is their website: Pet Microchip FAQs for Vets & Shelters | HomeAgain Pet Microchip. From the website: "Once registered, microchips remain in the HomeAgain database permanently and may be updated online at no charge anytime by logging into HomeAgain.com, regardless of annual membership status."

I dug into Bella's HomeAgain registration, and her chip is the international ISO standard 134kHz chip, encoding her ID as a 15 digit number, including country code. Here is more technical information about the HomeAgain chips: http://public.homeagain.com/pdf/micr...whitepaper.pdf

[KatysMom]

Originally Posted by pstinard

I dug into Bella's HomeAgain registration, and her chip is the international ISO standard 134kHz chip, encoding her ID as a 15 digit number, including country code. Here is more technical information about the HomeAgain chips: http://public.homeagain.com/pdf/micr...whitepaper.pdf

Thanks pstinard.

[nanajoy]

Beau came to us with a chip, but we decided not to chip Tyrone and Gus after a local news report about a series of yorkie robberies where the thieves cut the chips out of the babies they took.

They all have collars with name and phone info printed on them, as well as tags on their harnesses. They are registered on AKC reunite, complete with all contact info and pics which we update on a regular basis. All of our little ones are indoor dogs due to the presence of eagles, hawks, poisonous snakes and ALLIGATORS!

[KatysMom]

Originally Posted by nanajoy

...we decided not to chip Tyrone and Gus after a local news report about a series of yorkie robberies where the thieves cut the chips out of the babies they took.

Thank you nanajoy. I have heard of yorkies whose chips have been cut out. It's just so sad.