What are your experiences with microchipping?

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Rob Loxley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:58:03 GMT

The microchips vary lots in implanter design so worth deciding what type you get on with.
With waste disposal costs removable needles in the implanter reduce sharps disposal costs.
Most microchips these days have some kind of anti-migration technology/coating.

All microchips these days include registration onto a database (AVID Petrac, Kennel Club Petlog, Animalcare Anibase) in the cost, however the databases will try to sell 'premium' services on top. The only real advantage is if you move often, as they often give free changes of address, rather than paying a £7-10 fee per change.
AFAIK the databases talk to each other when it comes to reuniting lost pets, certainly when I've called one they've always found the details, even if on a different database.

Reliability is good. The tiny handheld battery powered scanners are lower powered than the rechargable, larger (and yes more expensive) handheld scanners, so can take longer to read.

AVID encrypted chips from the USA are the only issue we repeatedly come up against...

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Hanna Bennett — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:31:48 GMT

the course must enable the folk who have done it to chip legally, or what would be the point?

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:21:03 GMT

I think your initial assumption was right Niall. It's just no-one bothers enforcing this law !!!!

Wynne

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Niall Taylor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:33:16 GMT

[quote user="Hanna Bennett"]the course appears to apply to just about everyone. guess chips are not 'veterinary medication' so no restrictions on selling them.[/quote]

It was the carrying out of an injection that I was puzzled about, I thought only vets, qualified VN's and trainees under direct, in the same room, supervision were allowed to inject animals for profit.

Happy to be corrected though

Niall

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Hanna Bennett — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:43:57 GMT

the course appears to apply to just about everyone. guess chips are not 'veterinary medication' so no restrictions on selling them. our local dog warden also chips dogs.

http://www.pet-detect.com/TrainingCourse.php

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Niall Taylor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:02:59 GMT

[quote user="Jillian Hall"]I'm sure it will be a riveting day.[/quote]

I bet!!!

Niall

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Jillian Hall — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:01:06 GMT

There is a one-day course although I don't know exactly what it entails.

I work at an RSPCA clinic where they have their certificates from the course displayed on the wall. I also work with local CPL who are still bringing cats to us for chipping but are due to go on a course soon as they are changing their policy so that everything they rehome will be chipped. I have wondered how they manage to fill a whole day on the technicalities of chipping. I will ask CPL-man when he's been on it. I'm sure it will be a riveting day.

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Niall Taylor — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:12:55 GMT

[quote user="Hanna Bennett"]Breeders certainly do it if they have the requisite qualifications - think they have to go on a course.[/quote]

As a matter of interest do you know what the course consists of? I thought to be able to perform injections in animals for other people you had to be a vet, vet-nurse or a trainee under direct supervision - maybe they only chip their own animals. Also, how do they get hold of the chips, any idea?

[quote user="Hanna Bennett"]Membership of Petlog should come automatically come with a chip or it's not worth it[/quote]

When these chips first came out and it was only identichip on the market owners had to pay us £20.00 for the chip then pay an additional £20.00 to Identichip to register with the database. Then other companies got in on the act and the registration fee mysteriously disappeared!

Cheers,

Niall

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Hanna Bennett — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:39:19 GMT

Breeders certainly do it if they have the requisite qualifications - think they have to go on a course. Couple of our working dog breeders chip their pups before rehoming them if they are docked. Our local rescue centre again have trained staff who do the chipping.

Membership of Petlog should come automatically come with a chip or it's not worth it, this is the database that is available 24 hours. Most databases run by the chip companies are only at the end of the phone during working hours - never much use!

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Niall Taylor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:44:14 GMT

This is all personal experience only, but here goes...

[quote user="Tom Jarrett"] - Is a chip just a chip, or are some better / more reliable than others?[/quote]

AFAIK a chip is a chip is a chip. In the early days there were issues with some brands moving around more than others after implantation but that's pretty much sorted now and they're all much of a muchness. The only issues I've heard of is the chips that claim to give a body temperature reading can be a bit erratic although for the ID part they're fine.

[quote user="Tom Jarrett"]- What about the database of animals, are they all secure / reliable?[/quote]

Dunno on that one but there are so many databases around these days all with different costs, coverage etc I always advise clients about this and suggest they shop around and then decide which one(s) they want to belong to in addition to the free one that comes with the chip. I had one client who wrote a letter of complaint to the practice when he discovered that the database he got with the chip wasn't the only one available and he had to pay £10.00 for lifetime membership of a better one - I thought it sounded like a bargain to me.

[quote user="Tom Jarrett"]Also, does anyone know whether breeders / charities tend to do their own microchipping?[/quote]

Charities certainly do their own chipping on occasions for ridiculously low prices more often than not. Presumably they would have to have a qualified VN doing it. Not sure whether breeders would be able to do it - there might be issues with a veterinary wholesaler supplying to a private individual here.

Hope that helps a bit - I seem to be woefully ignorant on the subject myself, time to contact a few reps!

Cheers,

Niall

Re: What are your experiences with microchipping?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:05:53 GMT

Any of the companies will be delighted to supply posters. RSCPA do their own chipping. As far as I know, breeders aren't allowed to, but I may be wrong

Wynne