Microchip Warning - BE AWARE

[Luvmysphynx]

This is an e-mail to Home Again from one of my adopters that I just placed an Afghan Hound with. I'm the one who personally had this dog microchipped, but never thought to have my regular vet scan for the microchip after the spay/neuter center inserted it when I had him neutered, which I generally do as it's a big needle, and with my sighthounds with so little body fat, I generally always wait until they have to be put under for something else before microchipping them to minimize the pain and discomfort from the procedure.

Anyway, I know many on this board have microchipped their cats and/or other pets - Make it a practice to have your vet scan them whenever you take them in, if I'd done that I would have known the problem before placing the dog and gotten it taken care of, now I have a dog that's placed almost 350 miles away from where I live, with a microchip that won't be picked up by the scanners most shelters and vets use - So basically, it's worthless!

I trust the home that has Ice now, I don't anticipate a problem with him getting loose, BUT he is a big afghan who's got a tendancy to bolt, and you never know, tags get lost, broken off, or removed, and if that where to happen I just pray someone would find a way to get Ice back to us! We're going to have him re-microchipped with a US standard chip regardless, but I'll probably end up re-imbursing the foster home not only the fee for the new microchip, but for the $45 x-ray we did to insure there was a chip as well. ALWAYS ask if an ISO chip is going to be used, if the vet says yes, take your animals elsewhere for the microchip! If I'd known, it would have saved us alot of headache right now!

July 25th I took into my possession a foster rescue afghan hound. After a trip to my vet July 28th for routine examine and heartworm test we discovered the microchip could not be detected even though he had a tag and paperwork from the spay neuter clinic (Spay Neuter Center of SO Nevada) that chipped him stating he had a Home Again (HA) chip. My vet’s scanner could detect Home Again chips in 2 dogs in her clinic as well as 2 HA chips that have not been placed in pets.

I then took the dog to an emergency animal hospital (blue AVID scanner) and the local shelter, (big white scanner) and none of these scanners could pick up his chip although they picked up other chips in pets at those locations. I then had my vet take an X-ray to see if chip was even there, and sure enough there was a chip, a chip that over 90% of the scanners used in this country, the United States WILL NOT DETECT!!!

On a whim I took the dog to Pet Smart / Banfield, as I heard they had a chip system that was unlike most used in this country. Sure enough, their scanner detected his chip. I recall a lawsuit against Pethealth, Allflex, and Pet Smart who manufacture the incompatible microchip products. Again, these 134.2 frequency ISO (International Standard) chips in pets can not be detected by over 90% of vets, shelters and other animal clinics in the US when scanned.

I should note that the 3 scanners used to try to detect my dogs’ chip can detect the 125 kHz (non-encrypted), 125 kHz (encrypted) and 128 kHz, frequencies. I would also like to note that the 134.2 kHz radio frequency ISO chip in my dog is useless as long as my dog stays in the US, which is probably true of over 90% of pets in the US….. they stay in this country.

What this means, is I have a rescue afghan hound, known to run, that should he get out (very likely knowing the breed) and loose his tag (we all know all “found” dogs have their collars and tags…NOT!!!), will likely never be known to have a chip and thus I won’t be notified. The likely scenario is that he will perish in a shelter or not receive proper care after an accident because he had a useless 134.2 kHz (ISO) chip in him, a chip that approximately 98% of the animal clinics, shelters, private vet practices, etc in this country will not be able to identify.

Now if he gets lost in France or Spain, I’m in luck!!!

I want to know why on earth these chips are even being marketed to spay and neuter clinics here in the US??? I want to know why these chips are being marketed anywhere in the US when over 90% of US facilities do not have the means to identify these ISO chips.

As it stands now, National Afghan Hound Rescue spent $30 with the Spay and Neuter Center of SO Nevada for a useless microchip that will NEVER insure that this dog gets back to the foster, the owner, or the Afghan Rescue Association.

I want a new chip, that works in the United States and I do not want to pay for it again. I would also like to be reimbursed the $45 I spent on an X-ray to determine if there was even a chip to begin with.

I have contacted the facility in Las Vegas that inserted this chip, I have yet to speak with anyone that understands the gravity of the situation. I should state that I personally own 2 other rescue afghans that are in your system with US chips and I want this dog with a US chip as well.

 

[Brooke]

Wow. Very interesting. I worked for a vet many, many years ago when tattooing was still the standard ID practice and microchipping was a fairly new concept. I always wondered if there would be a problem identifying the chips from one brand to the next (for example, could an Avid scanner detect a Home Again chip) I would think that 15 years later, they'd have a solution.

That was always my concern with my dog, what if he got out and the vet or shelter that (hopefully) scanned him didn't have the proper scanner to detect the chip he had?? It's still not standard practice - at any of the vets I've gone to - for them to scan new patients. I always asked them to do it, just to make sure the chip hadn't moved. I'm sure there are tons of stories of pets being reunited because of the chip, but I wonder just how many are sitting in shelters with this very problem.

Please keep us posted on how they handle the case.

 

[PitRottMommy]

This is precisely why I use Banfield. I have all of my pets done through them because they use the old and the new megahertz microchips (and recently upgraded this into ONE chip instead of two...those are BIG needles to have to be stuck with TWICE). I want to be 110% certain that they're found no matter who finds them or where they are.

Thanks for posting this. Makes me feel a million times happier about my choice and the recommendations I've made to others.

To put some light on the situation, they're working on puting universal scanners (that read ALL manufactured megahertz microchips) in every shelter and vet office. It's free, but you have to ask for one. As soon as I find that number, I'll post it.

ETA: Banfield carries the Universal scanners in their offices. It's not manufactured by Banfield, it's actually another company. Banfield does NOT have a scanner that reads ONLY their microchips--I wanted to clarify.

 

[Brooke]

To put some light on the situation, they're working on puting universal scanners (that read ALL manufactured megahertz microchips) in every shelter and vet office. It's free, but you have to ask for one. As soon as I find that number, I'll post it.

Please do, I'll definitely forward it on to my vet!

 

[PitRottMommy]

I'll have to grab the number tomorrow when I'm at work. I'll post it as soon as I can.

 

[Luvmysphynx]

I'll have to grab the number tomorrow when I'm at work. I'll post it as soon as I can.

Yes, please do! I'll pass the information on to all the vets, shelters, and rescues in the area that I know just have the standard scanners that read all the US standard chips!!!

 

[sydkat7]

This is precisely why I use Banfield. I have all of my pets done through them because they use the old and the new megahertz microchips (and recently upgraded this into ONE chip instead of two...those are BIG needles to have to be stuck with TWICE). I want to be 110% certain that they're found no matter who finds them or where they are.

Thanks for posting this. Makes me feel a million times happier about my choice and the recommendations I've made to others.

To put some light on the situation, they're working on puting universal scanners (that read ALL manufactured megahertz microchips) in every shelter and vet office. It's free, but you have to ask for one. As soon as I find that number, I'll post it.

ETA: Banfield carries the Universal scanners in their offices. It's not manufactured by Banfield, it's actually another company. Banfield does NOT have a scanner that reads ONLY their microchips--I wanted to clarify.

PittRottMommy, I've taken my cats to Banfield to get microchipped for the very same reasons you mentioned. I feel a little more secure knowing that my cats can be identified if lost no matter what scanner is used.

 

[kalliee129]

Holy cow I didn't even know there were different chips. I thought it was all one company Guess I'm glad my vet is Banfield When Meecho goes for her teeth cleaning and is sedated she gets hers and Suki my puppy is getting hers when she goes for her snip snip

 

[RuthArt]

wow, I'm not sure what chip I have for my dog.....I got the Home Again tag, but it seems like the Avid scanner could read it. I'll have to check with my Vet and make sure. Thanks for the heads up.