Microchipping the cats

We just wasted a trip to the vet yesterday   We had talked with the vet ahead of time and they said that they had the chip we needed and it was no problem to have a USDA vet get it done.  However, when we got there, it was a different vet that tried to give them the rabies vaccination without even asking about anything else.  I stopped him and told him the purpose of our visit.  He went to ask another person and said they didn't have the right chip.  They have what is called the "home again" chip, which according to Iowa's USDA vet is the right one.  But in the PETS scheme for dummies post it says they have to be ISO Standard 11784 or 11785.    I don't want to get the wrong chip, but they insist that this one is now the one that is universally used.  Does anyone know if that is true??  It is making my leery on whether they know what they are talking about.  I really hate to waste another trip with a screaming 2 year old and 3 cats for them to tell me they messed up again....

Both my dogs have a Home Again chip and they are perfectly acceptable.  Older dog got his several years ago when I almost moved to the UK with my ex (via US Military) and the vet at Fort Sam in San Antonio implanted the chip with DEFRA and PETS scheme in mind.

Awesome!  Thanks for the info from someone who KNOWS!!!  The vets were so clueless that I didn't want to trust them.  Thank you!!

You're welcome!   

Seconding Dar....

Both my boys have Home Again chips and had absolutely no trouble entering the UK via the PETS scheme.

Thirding Dar! Another Home Again chip here!

I think the ISO Standard numbers your vet quoted are just the specs of the chip. But several name brands (Home Again and Avid are two of them) fulfilll the spec requirements for the PETS program.

Thanks for the clarification!  Very confusing when your vet doesn't have a clue!  He was flying by the seat of his pants for sure.  Hopefully they can still get us in this week then!  I was getting worried, because our cats need the rabies vaccination for their cat licenses in our town, but I didn't want to get that done before the microchip thing!  Now we can just go ahead and get it done.  Thanks everyone!

This is good news - I took my cats to the vet on Saturday and they said they'd call Avid and find out about the Euro chip this week.  They called today and said they can't get it, but they do have the Home Again chip.

If Gatwick has a reader that can read the Home Again chip, maybe I won't have to rent one.

I thought that the Home again was the one that they have the scanners for??  Anyone with a clarification?

I thought that the Home again was the one that they have the scanners for??  Anyone with a clarification?

Both the Home Again and the Avid chips can be read by the scanners. Don't worry! 

I had my cats chipped with the Home Again chip. I ended up not bringing them with me for other reasons, but it should have worked fine.

You do have to have the rabies verification, though. I had to get the vaccination, then have blood sent to an approved lab for testing. There are only 3 or 4 approved labs. Be sure to read the DEFRA information carefully in that regard.

Fortunately, I lived near one (University of Kansas, I think). There's also one in Texas. Can't remember the others.

Just be sure your vet understands that process.

I had my cats chipped with the Home Again chip. I ended up not bringing them with me for other reasons, but it should have worked fine.

You do have to have the rabies verification, though. I had to get the vaccination, then have blood sent to an approved lab for testing. There are only 3 or 4 approved labs. Be sure to read the DEFRA information carefully in that regard.

Fortunately, I lived near one (University of Kansas, I think). There's also one in Texas. Can't remember the others.

Just be sure your vet understands that process.

The only lab that can test the blood of civilian's pets is the one in Kansas.  Unfortunately, the one in Texas (Fort Sam in San Antonio) is only for use by US Military members who are preparing their pets.

Kansas isn't so bad, I've actually been on the University of Kansas' campus.  They aren't too far away.  I think I've got most of the details intact.  I just have to keep my vet totally informed of how and what he should do to not mess it up!  Thanks everyone!

The FAVN lab is actually at Kansas State, in Manhattan (KS).  I'm fairly sure you won't be able to courier the blood sample to and from the lab, though, so it's a bit of a moot point.

If your vet is clueless - or even if they're not! - it wouldn't hurt to print them out a copy of each of the pages accessible through the links under "Procedures for Cats and Dogs" on this site:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/procedures/vets_proc.htm

It really helped clear things up with my local vet, who'd never dealt with the PETS scheme before!

My 2 cats have the Avid microchips in each of them an they didn't have any problems getting there microchips read by the scanner at Gatwick Airport in March 2005.