...Frequently Asked
Questions...
A microchip is a permanent method of electronic identification. The chip itself is very small – about the size of a grain of rice – and is implanted subcutaneously (just under the skin) between the shoulder blades at the back of your pet’s neck. Each chip has a unique number that is detected using a microchip scanner.
If your pet gets lost and is taken to a vet clinic or animal shelter, your pet will be scanned for a microchip to reveal his unique ID number. That number will be called into the pet recovery service, and you will be contacted using the contact information on file with your pet’s microchip.
All the pets details e.g. name, age, colour, breed etc and also the owners name and contact number.
The frequency of a microchip actually refers to the frequency of the radio wave given off by the scanner that activates and reads the microchip. Examples of microchip frequencies used in the U.S. include 125 kilo Hertz (kHz), 128 kHz, and 134.2 kHz.
The International Standards Organization, or ISO, has approved and recommended a global standard for microchips. The global standard is intended to create an identification system that is consistent worldwide. For example, if a dog was implanted with an ISO standard microchip in the U.S. travels to Europe with its owners and becomes lost, the ISO standard scanners in Europe would be able to read the dog’s microchip. If the dog was implanted with a non-ISO microchip and the ISO scanner was not forward- and backward-reading (universal), the dog’s microchip might not be detected or be read by the scanner. The ISO standard frequency is 134.2 kHz. (FDX-B 15digit Microchips).
Yes
When an animal is found and taken to a shelter or veterinary clinic, one of the first things they do is scan the animal for a microchip. If they find a microchip, and if the microchip registry has accurate information, they can quickly find the animal’s owner.
Definitely! A study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters showed that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 21.9% of the time, whereas microchipped dogs were returned to their owners 52.2% of the time. Cats without microchips were reunited with their owners only 1.8% of the time, whereas microchipped cats went back home 38.5% of the time. (Lord et al, JAVMA, July 15, 2009). For microchipped animals that weren’t returned to their owners, most of the time it was due to incorrect owner information (or no owner information) in the microchip registry database – so don’t forget to register and keep your information updated.
No. It is not a tracking device. There are no internal tracking devices available as yet. This is just for proof of ownership and to give our pet an identity.
It’s a needle prick with a thickish type needle, however it is extremely sharp and we have heard pets perform a lot worse with receiving vaccinations than with chips. Some don’t even feel it at all.
Just a few seconds.
Yes. It is ISO and ICAR compliant
Yes.
Yes.
No, it is just a needle prick under the skin between the shoulder blades.
No.
Roughly from 6 weeks.
There are always risks to anything, however the chances of that with microchipping are zero to minimal. All microchip needles are individually packaged and sealed. Inside the package there is sterile gas.
Any universal scanner worldwide can read these chips.
Yes.
Ask your vet to scan the pet to check for a chip or contact us to arrange.
Ask the shelter which company the chip brand belongs to and then contact that company and request transfer of ownership.
Your pets lifetime.
Over time the chip can migrate under the skin, however our chip brand has a non-migration coating that assists in preventing it from moving.
The best reason to have your animals microchipped is the improved chance that you’ll get your animal back if it becomes lost or stolen. Some city pounds and kill shelters, depending on how full they are, have the right to put your animal to sleep if they come in as a stray without identification.
Absolutely not. Microchips are great for permanent identification that is tamper-proof, but nothing replaces a collar with up-to-date identification tags. If a pet is wearing a collar with tags when it’s lost, it’s often a very quick process to read the tag and contact the owner; however, the information on the tags needs to be accurate and up-to-date. But if a pet is not wearing a collar and tags, or if the collar is lost or removed, then the presence of a microchip might be the only way the pet’s owner can be found.
None
There really is no maintenance required for microchips themselves, although you do need to register the microchip and keep your contact information up-to-date in the microchip registration database. If you notice any abnormalities at the site where the microchip was implanted, such as drainage (oozing) or swelling, contact your veterinarian. Ideally, the microchip should be scanned during your animal’s regular wellness/preventive care exams to make sure that it’s still in place and working as it should.
Yes, an extremely user friendly international database that you have full control over.
Some pets do bleed slightly, however it is not often.
As with almost anything, it’s not a fool proof system. Although it’s very rare, microchips can fail and become unable to be detected by a scanner. Problems with the scanners are also not common, but can occur. Human error, such as improper scanning technique or incomplete scanning of an animal, can also lead to failure to detect a microchip. Some of the animal-related factors that can make it difficult to detect a microchip include the following: animals that won’t stay still or struggle too much while being scanned; the presence of long, matted hair at or near the microchip implantation site; excessive fat deposits in the region of implantation; and a metal collar (or a collar with a lot of metal on it). All of these can interfere with the scanning and detection of the microchip.
No, you do not need to have one of the microchips removed and no, they will not interfere with each other. The microchip detected by the scanner will depend on the scanner used – if it is a universal (forward- and backward-reading) scanner, it will probably detect each chip as it is passed over it. To detect the other chip, the scanner has to be reset and passed over the area where it is located. If it is a scanner that only reads one microchip frequency, it will only detect a microchip of that specific frequency and will not detect or read the other microchip. If you know your pet has more than one microchip implanted, make sure you keep the database information updated for each microchip. People don’t routinely assume there’s more than one microchip (because it is very uncommon), so they will try to find the owner based on the registry number of the microchip they detect.
Sure you can. Both chips will function normally. If your pet is scanned with a scanner that only reads 125 kHz chips, only the 125kHz chip will be detected. If your pet is scanned with a universal (forward- and backward reading) scanner, it could detect one or both chips separately (see the question above this one for more information).
For any other questions of needed info please contact us on 0745814343 or info@chipforcheaper.co.za