Are you thinking about microchipping your pet? Maybe you’re unsure of which pet microchip you should purchase. In this Pet Care Pro show, Shelley and Kevin answered some of our most common pet microchip questions.

ISO vs Non-ISO

So, what’s the difference between these two pet microchips? To start, ISO stands for International Standards Organization, which means these microchips are consistent worldwide. ISO microchips such as the BuddyID microchip are required when an animal travels to any country other than the United States. The American Animal Hospital Association recommends using ISO microchips and so do we. Non-ISO chips vary in a few ways. Unlike ISO microchips that have 15 numbers and always start with the number 9, non-ISO microchips have either nine or ten digits and may contain a mixture of numbers and letters. Non-ISO chips also have a different frequency than ISO chips.

Scanning a Pet Microchip

What should I do if I scan a pet microchip and it’s not showing up? If you don’t have a universal scanner, you run the risk of your pet’s chip not being detected. When shopping for a microchip scanner, you want to make sure you get one that can read both ISO and Non-ISO chips. Those are called universal scanners. Scanners work by reading the frequency of the chip. Universal microchip scanners detect both ISO and Non-ISO frequencies but not all scanners can do that.

Registering a Pet Microchip

So you got your pet microchipped, what’s next? All microchips must be registered. Sometimes pet owners forget to send in the registration, which can cause delays in reuniting pets with their owners. So it’s important that you update your pet’s microchip info and keep it up to date. A microchip can’t do its job if the information on it cannot be traced. Revival recommends registering your pet’s microchip with the BuddyID Microchip Registry™. If you have more questions on pet microchips or need help choosing the best microchip for your dog, cat or horse, call us at 800.786.4751.