Microchip not working!

Re: Microchip not working!

Rachael Winder — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 15:10:24 GMT

I recently dealt with a client who had a litter of 7 pups chipped at her previous vets ( they used Virbac). 5 of those have now failed yet only one was apparently in the batch which was faulty. Hence only 1 client had been contacted by Virbac- 1 other found out when on the continent and trying to re-enter the UK! when I spoke to Virbac they didn't seem at all surprised despite me saying that these were not supposed to be faulty batch numbers- made me wonder how many others have failed and the owners aren't aware.

Re: Microchip not working!

Niall Taylor — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 19:52:14 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]The owners were told (by letter) to pop their animals to their practice and to check if the chip was indeed working. The ones that didn't, Backhome would provide with another one FOC[/quote]

There has been another letter since then where Virbac acknowledged the stupidity of replacing only failed chips in a batch which were all likely to fail prematurely (including the day after the "check"). Clients who have a pet implanted with a chip from the dodgy batch should now have a second chip implanted, whether or not the original is working - how rubbish is that?

Niall

Re: Microchip not working!

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 18:14:35 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]Or are we now obliged to check chips at every consultation?[/quote]

No.

Re: Microchip not working!

Rob Loxley — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:06:59 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]Firstly, I'd like to ask if this is a necessity. I mean, I am happy to follow practices protocols, but is this just a protocol? Or are we now obliged to check chips at every consultation?[/quote]

Not a necessity or an obligation beyond practice protocol.

Can see some good benefits, but opens a can of worms that I really don't think is our job to police

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"]The problem now is that some of the chips that were working then, had stopped working now[/quote]

Phone Virbac? They are helpful.

Re: Microchip not working!

Francisco Gomez — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 16:57:57 GMT

[quote user="James Laidlaw"]

I think virbac had a run with failed batches- link - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=defra+virbac+chip+failure&oq=defra+virbac+chip+failure&aqs=chrome.0.69i57.4129j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Top link is to the doc file relating to failed chips

[/quote]

I guess all owners had received the letter from Virbac, but some of them had ignored it?

Re: Microchip not working!

James Allsop — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 16:50:45 GMT

I used to use the virbac chips and was caught out in the batch failures, approx 20% of those in the recall had stopped working. Although all chips replaced FOC still not great PR and I felt did reflect badly on the practice. I have changed to an alternative brand since

Re: Microchip not working!

James Laidlaw — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 16:45:05 GMT

I think virbac had a run with failed batches- link - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=defra+virbac+chip+failure&oq=defra+virbac+chip+failure&aqs=chrome.0.69i57.4129j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Top link is to the doc file relating to failed chips

Re: Microchip not working!

Francisco Gomez — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:43:25 GMT

[quote user="ceri stewart"]

I know this may sound stupid, but were they tested with 2 scanners or could the scanner be dying?

[/quote]

Not stupid at all. I used three different scanner brands, all full batteries and working with other chips.

Re: Microchip not working!

ceri stewart — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:28:31 GMT

I know this may sound stupid, but were they tested with 2 scanners or could the scanner be dying?

Re: Microchip not working!

Alan Tevendale — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:20:32 GMT

I can't honestly remember any of the chips we've implanted ever failing. Maybe we've just been lucky.

Re: Microchip not working!

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 15:12:16 GMT

[quote user="Francisco Gomez"] Anyone else had experienced this?[/quote] No, I use idENTICHIP!