The chip identification

Since a couple of years it is possible in the England to provide animals with identification through an electronical implant (the transponder or “chip”). This method is about to replace the tattoo. The techniques which are used in the Netherlands meet the ISO-standards. Since January 1996 there have been agreements concerning the standards which chips have to meet. The chips which are used now all meet this ISO-standard and can be read world-wide. The chip is a little piece of electronics which is placed under the skin. This takes place through a hypodermic needle. This chip is read through a “reader”. Through a central data bank you can inform 24 hours a day where the animal with this identification belongs to. In principle it is guaranteed with this system that you are able to find the data concerning this “chipped” animal (and its owner) from any place in the world. Since 1st January 1998 all purebred dogs are also chipped instead of the tattoo they used to get.  

Is England a trendsetter compared to other countries concerning the “chip”?
No, on the contrary. In many countries this application with animals has taken place for many years now. Examples are: US (12 years), Netherlands (6 years) and even Belgium has used chips with for example all animal homes for some years now.

Do scary things happen if such a chip has been placed?
Although we have just started in the England, this technique has been applicated for some time now in other countries. This means that we will not have to deal with unexpected “growing pains”. Everything has been tested and improved for many years now. An example is placing a special coating over the bioglass. This ensures that the chip “sticks” to the surroundings within a couple of hours and therefore will not “wander” through the body. ( a chip which, very exceptionally, “walks” a bit doesn’t harm because it always stays in the subcutaneous layer and will maximally shift just a couple of centimeters).

Does it hurt when you place the chip?
Placing the chip takes place with a hypodermic needle. Although the needle is a bit thicker than the needle for their yearly injection, the animals hardly react, because of the elasticity of their skin. Only the very thin sharp needle point makes a hole in the skin. Afterwards this little hole “stretches” a little and the thick needle part can go through the skin. Because there are hardly any sensory nerves under the skin, shifting the needle under the skin doesn’t hurt. It actually doesn’t hurt more than the yearly vaccination with the much thinner needle.

How does a chip work?
A chip consists of:  a bioglass covering and a very small coil

The actual chip.
If the coil is placed in a magnetic field a small induction current will arise. This current is sufficient to activate the chip. In fact, the chip is a rather silly thing, because the only thing it is capable to is transmitting a code. This code is always the same and consists of 15 figures which cannot be changed. For the Netherlands the first three figures are 528. Any animal which has a chip starting with 528 is therefore an animal “chipped” in the Netherlands. The next 3 figures indicate the animal category (for example domestic animal) and which manufacturer produced the transponder. 9 figures remain (so 10 milliard of different numbers) in order to give every animal an unique code.

How can these numbers be read and who is able to do this?
Everyone who has an ISO-reader can read any ISO-chip over the whole world. Nevertheless there are also readers (often the cheaper ones) which can only read the transponder of their own manufacturer. In England the veterinarians started to chip the pets. Almost every veterinarian has a reader. Also animal ambulances and animal homes have readers which also can read chips which don’t meet ISO, because especially the past few years many animals have been chipped with chips which don’t meet ISO.

How does the registration take place?
A registration form mentions the data concerning the animal, its owner and the one who placed the chip. The data bank saves the data in a computer system and connects the chip number to it. Because of this number the data can be called up within a couple of seconds. A chip therefore makes sure that animals that are missing or are wounded can be delivered to their owner very fast. Besides, animals that have been stolen can easily be tracked. (the proof is present in the animal itself!)   Which advantages do the “chip” has compared to a tattoo?
Placing the chip is almost painless. Placing a tattoo means that many little holes have to be made!  A chip always functions! At 60% of the tattoos the number cannot be read anymore after 2 years.  A chip doesn’t affect the animal’s appearance. Reading the chip with a reader only takes less than a second. Try this when you read the tattoo of your own dog (or cat).  All animals, from mouse until elephant, can be chipped.  The chip cannot be changed; it can only show one number.  In most cases the chip’s place cannot be determined precisely so that in case of theft it cannot be removed.  By saving all animal data in one central data bank you don’t have to wonder who to turn to if you need information.  By means of the unique number the origin of the animal can be determined world-wide.  The ISO-standard mentions that chips have to be tested by an independent authority called ICAR. Fraud-proof and readability are also tested: the number on the chip can therefore not be erased or changed.

Are there any disadvantages?
Actually the only disadvantage is that you cannot see from the outside whether the animal has been chipped or not. It is therefore necessary that all animals get their own chip in the Netherlands.