Q.  Thank you for the information. However, here’s my question….our group deals with several microchip companies, as some of our animals come from the shelter and they use Avid, others are animal surrenders and chips vary….The problem that I’m running into is finding one central location to register the different companies, versus going to all the different sites.  Do you have any suggestions?  I look forward to your comments.
For the animals,
Peter J. Torres,         President, Animal Rescue Force of South Florida, Inc.

A.  Please see the Solutions Page for AMACA's newest undertaking regarding streamlining pet recovery.


Q.  How many microchip scanners are out there?  How many pets are chipped?  Jen Courtland, IL

A.  By most accounts there are between 100,000 to 200,000 scanners in the United States.  With several companies providing them to user groups and veterinarians, those numbers grow every hour.  Estimates are that over 12 million pets and equines are microchipped within the United States infrastucture.


Q.  I wish we could have a scanner that can read all chips?  Liz  St Louis, MO

A.  Be careful what you wish for!  When scanners are designed to "tune in" to more than one frequency, the efficiency of the scanner declines dramatically.  This is not the fault of the manufacturer; it is just a technical fact.  The AVMA has warned that some 'universal' scanners required to read several frequencies, take longer to work.  The smaller and more portable the scanner, and the more frequencies it is 'asked' to read, the more it suffers in performance.  This is why, since 1996, chips used in companion animals in America have all operated at the SAME frequency of 125 kHz.

However, the recent introduction of European ISO chips which operate at 134.2 kHz has basically forced manufacturers to read these chips in addition to the existing American standard chips.  Several companies have come out with scanners that are multi-frequency scanners.  The best advice AMACA can supply at this time is to thoroughly TEST any scanner you are considering buying or have been given.

Those in the fields of animal care or control have noted and are concerned about slower less productive scanning, for obvious reasons.  Multi frequency scanners are not the standard in any country for this reason.  In the United States, however, where microchip identification of pets has grown dramatically, shelters are scanning thousands of animals now carrying various types of chips.  Tests have proven that multi frequency scanners will often 'miss' an implanted microchip.  This is unacceptable to animal care providers and to pet owners.  So, always test scanners to find the one that works best in your circumstances.


Q.  How can we tell the difference between different types of chip numbers and who do we call when we find a chip in a lost pet?  M. Crestwell, Florida Animal Control

A.  Microchips operating at the American standard of 125 kHz, display on the scanner as 9 or 10 characters.  Chips operating at the frequency of 134.2 kHz, display as 15 characters.  Most shelters and vets are very familiar with the shorter numbers of the United States chips that have been in use for decades.  (EX: AVID*123*456*789 or 24B456789E for HomeAgain.)

However, when scanning the 134 kHz chips, you must know the 'manufacturers code' or the 'country code', which is presented as the first three numbers of the chip.  Then you can contact the recovery database or country database either in or out of the United States.