Avid microchip problem

I once checked the chip # of s relative's dog online (on a hunch) and it showed purchased but not registered. No problem, I went online and filled in all the info for them. I think it wanted me to use a CC and pay a small fee. However, if the owner has had other pets reg with the same chip company, you just fill in the chip # of a different registered pet and there was no fee and it linked them all together. Very cool.

We've got the newer AVID scanner (probably 3-5 years old) and it will scan the European chips. We've only gotten a few "chip present" without it reading the number, so that is pretty rare - still a problem

I have a small scanner from AVID and it reads both AVID and Home Again Chips. The numbers are in different sequences, so you know which it is.

Then we got the free scanner from Banfield - that reads AVID, Home Again and Banfield chips - all 3.

I always used AVID chips, as they offered special pricing to shelters/rescues. But I have always offered to check existing chips in dogs who people brought along when they came to adopt -- and I've always offered free scanning if someone finds a dog.

That has given me an opportunity to find the other types of microchips and know for sure that the scanners do read them all.

They won't read the European chips, but that's not really an issue for me, in this area.

dturm wrote:
I did a search on AAHA/AKC universal lookup tool and found Jill's chip to be unregistered too.

A major problem here is that each company has a proprietary computer file and there was no single data base. AAHA and AKC has attempted to make a centralized data base to help with lost animals, but obviously there are some flaws in the system.

That was my initial thought when I read the original post -- problem with the online database, not with the registration with the chip company.

In addition to the universal database issue, my vet told me several years ago that there's no universal scanner that will read all chips. He said that any scanner would (or should) detect the presence of a chip, but might not be able to read the number. So in order to read the numbers they needed a scanner for AVID, a scanner for Home Again, etc. I don't know if that's changed since then. One would hope so.

Another thought - with the availability of these machines that make tags -- we had one made for each of our dogs with our cell phone numbers on, that we put on them when we travel.

It might be a good idea to have a metal tag made with the 800 number on to whatever registry you are using for your dog. The only problem with that is sometimes dogs slip collars or people remove a collar.

The thing is if an animal is found, whoever scans the animal is going to contact the company that the chip was issued from - ie: Avid, Homeagain, Banfield, etc.... unless the dog has a tag with different information on it.

Re: the free registry - does your dog have a tag or something with a phone number for that particular registry? The thing is, the finder that scans and tries to trace the chip has to contact that registry to get the information.

I know AVID gives a plastic tag with the microchip number imprinted on it. Those things break, and numbers wear off.

I had rescue tags made with my phone number that went on all rescue dogs when they were placed, as a backup - if the owner was away, and the pet got lost, I could be called and retrieve the dog until the owner returned.

I ended up having stainless tags also made up with the 800 number for avid. I just didn't see those plastic tags holding up over the long haul.

I registered my dogs microchips at no cost with: http://microchipregistry.foundanimals.org and http://freepetchipregistry.com

I did a search on AAHA/AKC universal lookup tool and found Jill's chip to be unregistered too.

A major problem here is that each company has a proprietary computer file and there was no single data base. AAHA and AKC has attempted to make a centralized data base to help with lost animals, but obviously there are some flaws in the system.

Have not had that problem with AVID. I suppose a computer entry error could be made by any of the companies, I think this serves as a suggestion to us all to lookup our own animals to see it they are in fact in the data base.

As Wanda said, most of the unregistered chips we find are still registered as sold to the rescue. We have a cat this weekend (probably ran from the fireworks) with a Home Again chip registered to the city of Chicago. We have to wait till Monday to contact their agency to find out who adopted the cat.

Hope this all gets straightened out.

RE the different chips, it's not just Banfield, AVID, Home Again. I'm currently working with a client trying to get their dog legally transported to Greece. The EU requires a chip that is not commonly used in the US and the owner has to get it re-chipped with a special chip or carry a scanner that can read the chip that is implanted. AVID makes the EU compatible chip, but it's a pain keep multiple kinds and have the appropriate record keeping. Reminds me of Beta vs VHS with video recorders.

Doug, DVM

I did rescue for many years and started chipping dogs in 2000. I gave the owners instructions on registering the chip.

A few years ago, one of my rehomed dogs was lost and the owner notified me, as required in my adoption contract. I called AVID. The owner had NEVER registered the microchip. AVID did allow me to give my information without charge, because the dog was lost at the time.

I suspect a LOT of people don't register the microchips when the dogs are chipped at a shelter. The microchips from a shelter trace back to that shelter, as we buy them by the boxes.

I guess if a person privately pays their vet for microchipping, they are laying out a nice chunk of change for the procedure, and may be more inclined to be sure to register it.

Edit: This doesn't sound right, in re-reading it. I'm not saying you didn't register the chip. It's possible AVID isn't showing up in whatever search blocks you are finding on line. I wouldn't get too excited until you talk to AVID on Monday. Your dog should have a tag with the 800 number on it for AVID.

There are several different registries. AKC has one, I think it's callED CAR - Companion Animal Recovery or something to that effect.

Also, a number of years ago, Banfield came out with their own microchips. There was some kind of legal issue with it because the Banfield (Petsmart) microchips did not read on the same frequency as the AVID and Home Again microchips. I did not follow that closely, but there must have been some kind of settlement, because we (shelters) got a free scanner that not only reads the Banfield chips, but Home Again and AVID.

It would be simpler if there was one microchip and one registry, but that would be too easy.