BadgerNaboo

Hi

I wonder if anyone can help me.

I have moved from London to San Francisco with my two dogs.

One is chipped with Virbac back home and the other with petlog.

I have just managed to change the addresses on both of them to my US address although the Virbac did not seem to like this to much asked for a UK post code although I could get round this by putting a space at the end of my zip code.

The problem is I do not know if the Virbac or the petlog can be read by scanners in the US. Can anyone help?

Thank you

avanutria

Check with your vet. Ours kind of told us that it can be (in our cat, I think it's a petlog) but I am still not 100% sure.

meauxna

Hey BadgerNaboo! We were just the other day wondering outloud where you'd got away to. You're still here!
Hope all is well.

BadgerNaboo

Still in SF and loving it Hope all is well with you

1chumly

My dog's can be read, the number that is, the problem is it doesn't scan to any microchip company so no information. There is no central registry either. I have registered mine with the American Kennel Club companion animal recovery. The only alternative is to have him micro-chipped again.

NatashaB

depends on the chip, best to take your pet to the vets and have them try and scan it - our cat's chip wouldn't read (I believe that was petlog) so we had to get another one put in.

BadgerNaboo

Thanks for the information about the AKC. I just paid to update the info but I guess this was a bit of a waste of time.

I don't want them to have to be chipped again as we move to Vancouver in around 16 months and I'm not sure how things work there.

Will get them both registered on the AKC and hope I can change the address to a Canadian one when we move.

Thanks everyone

Nutmegger

Is a dog license required where you live? Around here, the month of June is licensing month. If you license the dog you get a numbered collar disk that cross references to your address and also helps to trace a lost dog, plus if you get the rabies shot, that also has a numbered collar disk and has the name of the vet, who can then also look up the owner from his records.

BadgerNaboo

Yes a dog license is required.. They have this and one has a rabies tag (the other does not need her shot in the US yet so does not have a tag.

Just want to be really sure that if they are lost and for some reason don't have the tag then the chip can be detected.

That way I think I'm covering everything

Nutmegger

I'm with you on that -- belt and braces all the way where the dogs are concerned! I not only have them chipped and wearing my own engraved disk and the rabies/town tags, they also have the disk that comes when they are chipped on their collars!

BadgerNaboo

All done I'm very impressed with the service at the AKC.. It was pretty painless registering both dogs one chip was Virbac no problem one petlog Tracer but this was not recognized but one call and the lady told me to enter it as an ISO chip and it went through fine..

The brilliant thing is that I can change our address to a Canadian one when we move to Vancouver.

So £45 for both dogs with tags, they now have rabies, license, ID and will have microchip tags think that's got it covered.

Neither of them ever leave my side even when off leash but it's better to be safe than sorry

ian-mstm

I had to get a license for my pet fish, Eric!

Ian

1chumly

That is great but don't forget that the chip obviously will still not show who they are registered with and its a bit of a crap shoot as to whether the vet will look up all the chip or location services if they should become lost. I don't know how many there are. I think we are all in the same boat regarding this. It scares me silly. My dog has three tags on but if he should somehow lose his collar too what good are they? When I got my dog licensed I did give my dogs microchip # as well so I suppose that is one more safeguard. I just wish there was a central registry of some sort. We just have to do the best we can and you have.

BadgerNaboo

It's just covering all possible bases and I think it will be fine as long as no one wants to actually take your dog. As they never go out of sight I cannot see it as being a problem..

I was not sure how necessary it was as they are well trained but then as we are in SF if there was an earthquake and we were some how separated I would hope they could be returned quickly.