Microchip disappeard in cat ?!

I took my cat Nia for her first UK vet visit for her annual vaccinations, check-up. Oddly, the technician (or the reader for that matter) was not able to locate the microchip. How can this be? Do they use different brand/readers in the UK? After all, the DEFRA vet must have been able to read it when we arrived last year.

Thanks!

Microchips have been known to occasionally shift position.  Was a full-body scan done?  An incompatible reader may also be a possibility.

GREAT another thing to worry about!!  I have three cats and we are flying out September 30th.  The last time the microchips were read was in November/December '07 when the blood was drawn for the Titre test....  What if they have moved or can not be found now?? Now I'm nervous.. *ugh*   

There are two different kinds of microchips: 125MHz and 134MHz (IIRC).  It's possible the vet office had a scanner that only read one frequency and that frequency isn't the same as the microchip in your cat.  It's a bit odd though as I believe the UK uses the 134MHz and that's the one you must get in the US in order for Defra to read it.

It's very difficult to feel the microchip with your fingers so I wouldn't be surprised if the tech couldn't feel it.  It is possible for the chips to migrate so it should definitely be in there somewhere.  I'm assuming the tech scanned all over your cat?  Maybe see if there's another vets office that you could bring your cat in to be scanned for free.  If you're really desperate to know where it is in your cats, there's always X-rays.

ancmc:  I really wouldn't worry about it. But if you are, you could always bring your cats into your vets for a quick scan to make sure everything's all right.

Well... being the worrier that I am I spent most of the morning (at work ..shhh.. don't let me say that too loud I may get into trouble!!    ) seeing if there was a cheap scanner that I could get myself so that I could every day check to make sure that the chip has disappeared.... lol  Then when I saw the cheapest one (even on eBay) was like $220 I said forget it.

I called a Vet's office that is down the road from where I am living and asked if I could bring my three cats in after work for no cost to check the chips and they said sure.  So I took off an hour early from work and loaded them up.. took them down.. and they are all three good to go!!     *whew* one less thing to worry about.  lol

Thanks for all the good advice! I may just have to take the cat to another vet.

My apologies for adding to the anxiety around bringing your cats over! It will be alright 

No worries! lol  I just tend to freak out a lot these days..  Too much to keep track of and worry about... But I've figured even with all of the worry something I am sure will not go smoothly.. 

There are two different kinds of microchips: 125MHz and 134MHz (IIRC).  It's possible the vet office had a scanner that only read one frequency and that frequency isn't the same as the microchip in your cat.  It's a bit odd though as I believe the UK uses the 134MHz and that's the one you must get in the US in order for Defra to read it.


UPDATE: Eruname was right! The US vet implanted a Non-ISO microchip vs. a ISO microchip that is used in the UK (and all EU). I don't want the cat to run around with two microchips let alone go through the whole rabies vaccination procedure again. Hence, I coughed up the money to buy an all universal microchip reader. http://www.pet-detect.com/view_product.php?p_id=4 because I may need a EU pet passport for taking her to Germany.

it happened to my cat . He is sitting in quarantine right now.

x-rays and everything could not reveal the chip.