Hi list, I have done some research about the chips as well. I have also tried to read the chips the other way around - US chip in Sweden.
As we have a law in Sweden saying ALL dogs has to be id-marked, we always do that at the general health check at 8 weeks of age. I had some contact with a company in USA and checked if I could purchase chips from them, as it the would be cheaper instead of buying them from our vet. So they send me a Home again chip, and I tried to read it when I visited my vet. They tested 3 scanners - two didn't work at all, but the third one did. It was an "international" scanner they said - three times as expensive as the usual ones. They also said that not many vets have got that international scanner because of that. In Sweden - and I think that goes for the rest of Europe too - we use two kinds of chips: Datamars and Indexel. Datamars is the cheapest, and Indexel is the best as it won't move after being placed under the dog's skin. About the US chips: I was told the Avid scanner reads all chips and the Home Again Universal Scanner does so too. Veterinarians in private practice can purchase an Avid scanner for $500 or a Home Again scanner for $200 - but the Home Again scanner will then only read Home Again chips. However, the Home Again Universal Scanner (which is given for free to animal shelters) reads all chips too. But if my dog run away - knowing it had the wrong kind of chip - I wouldn't trust for one second that the one checking for the chip would have the correct type of scanner! Anyway - I was thinking about getting some US chips so I can chip the ones who might go "over there" with the correct chip right from the beginning. Only problem is that this will be done at 8 weeks, and what if the puppy don't turn out as good as it looked at 8 weeks of age? Then I will have an American chip in my European dog! :-( Our lifes would be much easier if there were an international standard with only one type of chips and one type of scanners! Regards, Helena Bona Cucciolo Cavaliers, Sweden www.cucciolo.com ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
