Can microchips stop working?

[starryeyed]

Can microchips wear off / stop working? I think I've heard somewhere that magnetic rugs can affect them but not sure how true that is...? (She hasn't been near magnets with me!)
Was intending to get my horse microchipped as well as freezemarked but I've just been flicking through her passport and it says she's already chipped - but the scanner didn't go off at all when she was vetted and he did a thorough scan of her neck? She wasn't on NED when I first bought her (though have sent off a form) and nothing comes up on google when I put it in ...

ETA: She was originally from ireland, is it possible that the scanners here wouldn't recognise it? x

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I don't know if they can stop working, but I was told by a vet that occasionally, on rare occasions they can move, and travel around the body, and in an animal the size of a horse, if that's happened they sometimes can't locate it to scan.

 

[Star_Chaser]

yes they can stop working. The usual process is to check the chip if it is not picking up check the whole of the body to see if it has migrated if not migrated a vet will usually locate and then remove the chip or register with the company who provided the chip that it is inactive. You can read a bit more here or on the DEFRA website.

http://www.bsava.com/Advice/PetTravel/Microchipfailure/tabid/1544/Default.aspx

 

[starryeyed]

Thank you - will ask vet to have another look when she's next round and see if she can locate it! x

 

[PeterNatt]

Unfortunately there are at least 7 different microchip systems in this country and the scanners of one system will not pick up the microchips of all the other systems (if any).
Microchips can migrate.
It is very rare but Microchips can become corrupted.
This is why many horses have more than one microchip in them - because the first one was not detected so it was assumed no microchip was present and the horse was re-microchipped,.
There is no central data base for microchips either.
Vets are not obliged to send the contact details of the person that has had the horse microchiped to the relevant operators of that microchips database.
If you have your horse microchipped or freezemarked ensure that your horses record on www.nedonline.co.uk is ammended to include the microchips/freezemark details.

 

[EimerR]

ya they can migrate quite a bit, i know of one horse who's microchip was found under the root of his mane

 

[Equinus]

Agree with what has been said. They can stop working, they can migrate, and some of the older ones may not be readable by modern readers.

 

[joelb]

Just to agree with everyone else they can definitely migrate. One of my dogs’ went in at his neck at 8 weeks and is now ¾ of the way down his back – it is on his record but it slightly worries me that you would need to locate the chip to find his record to read the comment.

My mare was chipped in France and when FarmKey came to micromark her they couldn’t locate it so I assumed it was a dodgy passport and she’d never been chipped etc. Vet came out to chip her again and located the French one with no problem so there is certainly an issue with what different scanners will pick up. Bit of a shame really in this age of technology.

 

[crabbymare]

Its also worth checking from the off side as I have seen an Irish vet put the chip there.

 

[cremedemonthe]

Unfortunately there are at least 7 different microchip systems in this country and the scanners of one system will not pick up the microchips of all the other systems (if any).
Microchips can migrate.
It is very rare but Microchips can become corrupted.
This is why many horses have more than one microchip in them - because the first one was not detected so it was assumed no microchip was present and the horse was re-microchipped,.
There is no central data base for microchips either.
Vets are not obliged to send the contact details of the person that has had the horse microchiped to the relevant operators of that microchips database.
If you have your horse microchipped or freezemarked ensure that your horses record on www.nedonline.co.uk is ammended to include the microchips/freezemark details.

Actually Peter they do work with all chips and have been doing so for the last ten years, this I know to be true as I am currently working with a UK microchip, scanner and gps company at the present to make new products with them amd this is one of the questions I asked them very early on in the negotiating stages.I can put you in contact with the Directors if you'd like to ask them directly?