Failed Microchips

[zeebie]

Not sure if this has been discussed but apparently the Virbac chips have been failing a 'bad 'batch came through in 2010 so from around June 2011 onwards these chips which were used worked initially and now after around 18months do not read

http://www.savingpets.com.au/2013/09/thousands-of-pet-microchips-faulty/

so if you think your pet has one of this brand get it checked and if need re chip.

[*kirty*]

We were recently made aware of this at work and have had two dead chips in the last two weeks. The faulty chips often start with 90008800 so if your pet's chip starts this way, get it checked ASAP.

[~Anne~]

I trust vorbac are offering a 'rechip' at no cost through vets? If not I'd be letting them know my feelings on this issue very firmly if I were affected.

[*kirty*]

Yes they are, but I think they should be doing more! This has been known for a while, why are we just finding out now? Why haven't they had posters at vets alerting people to check their pets?

[LisaCC]

How do I find out what brand the chip is?

[OSoSwift]

I got a letter sent out regarding a cat I have with one of these chips and that would have been a good 6 months ago.

[moosepup]

Zoe's chip starts with those numbers but was implanted prior to 2010. Should I rechip her? Are they rechipping all dogs or just those that don't work?

[OSoSwift]

Just those that don't work. The letter asked you to get them checked if the chip didn't read they would cover the cost or re-implanting a new chip

[moosepup]

Thanks OSo, she's due for a checkup soon so I'll get them to scan her. :)

[Wundahoo]

Microchips can fail for a number of reasons. They can be faulty, like the batch that Virbac sold, or they can migrate to a point in the animal's body where a scanner cant detect it (eg behind the shoulder blade) or they can fall out !

I have a scanner and so regularly scan my dogs about every 6 months or so just to make sure the chips are still detectable.

I also tell my puppy buyers that they should ask their vet to check the chip at least once a year when they go for their annual health check.

I really believe that an annual chip check should become a matter of protocol for all vet hospitals, considering the number of microchips that will have been implanted in the next few years.

Chip failure, migration or loss is a relatively rare occurence but the more chips that are implanted the more likely it is to happen.

Sometimes it can have disasterous effects.

I know of an incident regarding chip loss with a dog which was imported to Australia. The dog was microchipped some 3 years prior to leaving its country of origin. According to the export paperwork the dog was scanned immediately prior to departure and chip number corresponded to that on the export documents. On it's arrival in OZ, AQIS scanned the dog again, as is protocol, and the chip couldnt be located !!! It was decided that the chip must have fallen out of the dog sometime during the flight !! Of course there was no proof that the dog had actually been scanned immediately prior to leaving it's home country but the export documents/chip confirmation had been signed in the country of origin.

Australia's laws are very clear that no dog can enter the country without a microchip in place.

Poor dog was returned to its country of origin, and the whole export process had to be restarted.... all blood tests needed to be repeated and the relevant waiting period elapsed before it could enter the country again.

LESSON..... check your chips once a year !

[Tazar]

Only yesterday I had one of my GSD's at the vet and they had trouble finding the chip, eventually they did and it is down low under the shoulder.

Another of my GSD's has one low on his rib cage.

So that is two out of three that have moved significantly.

I agree with Wundahoo that they should be checked regularly.

Very unlikely mine will ever end up in the pound but how hard to they check for chips??

[alpha bet]

Our vet will often use a couple of different scanners.... he says sometimes he cant find a chip but then changes to another scanner and it beeps away no obvious reasoning to this.... so obviously there can be hiccups and some vet clinics only have one scanner.

Question : If you have to re-chip a dog do you have to notify Dogs Vic and have their registration paper changed?

[blakkjackal]

Damn, my dog's chip starts with those numbers and was implanted after June 2011. Need to get him checked asap... Thanks for the info, I had no idea.

[Steph M]

Surely as they know the faulty batch numbers they should be recalling that whole batch...

[Diva]

Thanks for the heads up, will have to go check what was used on the pups. I know one failed and the owner rechipped, we assumed it had come out, didn't think of a batch failure.

[Dogsfevr]

yep checking chips should be a must do on any persons list & knowing where it is located from the previous checks.

This should be part of a vet visit or people can buy there own scanner.

Mine get checked yearly at there annual eye checks & locations noted ,we also check with our own scanner .

Scanners can play a big role too if not using multi readers .

Although apparently there is a "scan Zone" that legally must be checked i gather if chip isn't found in this area its up to the user to check all over & i would dare say this doen't happen .

Although i now of far to many failed reads anyway

[tdierikx]

I've witnessed pound staff doing a cursory scan of the area a chip is supposed to be in - and I reminded them to do a complete body scan on the dog in question... we found the chip, just not where it was supposed to be... owner was very releived to get their dog back...

Don't assume that having a chip implanted will automatically mean that the dog is returned to you if lost... go and physically check the pounds that service your area...

T.

[zeebie]

Definately get your dogs/cats/equine chips checked regularly. and yes notification were sent out to vets and letters to any owners who had registered their animal with the national pet registry etc. If your chip does not ready Virbac will replace at their cost but personally I think I would want a different brand. ;)

Also any animal who is registered be it with local council or dog association must have new paperwork submitted with stat dec declaring reason for m/c number to change and this is with a cost which Virbac should pay for! I have heard of one instance where a whole lot of DNA testing was done on an animals and when this debacle occurred with m/c fail poor person had to have all DNA redone with new number

[Guest Ams]

Once checked there is a chip remember to then ring the company and confirm your details are up to date. Database's fail, human error at data entry and misplaced forms are all reasons why there are chips with no details recorded against them. I've had the NSW based chip registry tell me on several occasions chips don't exist and yet I've been able to fax them a copy of their confirmation of lodgement of the chip.

[DesertDobes]

We are now part of the non-functioning microchip club. It's annoying that the first I ever heard about it was when we couldn't find my female dobes chip considering virbac have been aware of the problem for over a year

Any ideas on how to get a refund for having to rechip?