Q: microchips

Nov 13, 2008

There is a "universal" scanner that can identify the different chips. Sometimes, it can only go as far as telling you that there is a chip, the maker of the chip, but not the number. In that case, you need to find someone with that reader to find out the specifics. It is not impossible -- and as long as chip companies are focused on reuniting pets with their family (not on a profit only), the technology will get better all the time!

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Nov 02, 2008

Most companies have made their scanners universal to pick up the major chip frequencies.

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Nov 02, 2008

Most vet clinics should carry the international and national chip readers, but even if its a different company or brand, if its a national chip, the national chip reader will pick it up. When getting your pet microchip you can request which one you want to get.

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Oct 31, 2008

Some scanners are universal but not all. Different chips have different frequencies.

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Oct 31, 2008

When we rescued Black Jack, a MinPin, I called around to see if a vet could check him for a microchip. I found that the vets choose their chip, and their scanner only reads that type chip. PetSmart assured me that their scanner does find all types of microchips. They scan for free. I took him up, and had them scan him. Since he is only about a year old, they said he is not chipped. The bad thing is which chip should we use to record our dogs? If it isn't standard, does it even help? One of my puppy parents had 4 chips placed in her dog. They do need to standardize the scanner...

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Oct 31, 2008

I believe 24PetWatch is commonly used in shelters. Unfortunately, not all readers read all the microships. Veterinarians tend to use different brands and I know that Canada and Europe uses the same universal chips.

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Oct 31, 2008

From what I've been told, I BELIEVE that 24 petwatch co. is a universal microchip company.

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Oct 31, 2008

i've had pets microchipped, and the vet couldn't read the one that was done in another state. i guess the "international" chip brand that was used wasn't readable by his reader. the vet said that can happen often. i guess the more they pay for their reader, the more it's likely to read the different microchips. so to my understanding microchips are kinda like car diagnostic code readers, the higher up you go in price, the more codes it can read.

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Oct 31, 2008

No, not all of the chip readers work with the different microchips. mine supposedly does but i have only used it with my (avid) microchips. the newer chips have more numbers and i know they won't work with the ollder readers.

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