Dog Microchip question

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Anyone know the DOB can be traced from a microchip?

[Andy Burns]

I don't think there's any data stored on the chip, other than an ID to look things out of a central database, you might be able to read the ID with a suitable RFID enabled device, or SDR.

But if you approach a vet, without being the owner, I think you're more likely to get "can't tell you anything, sorry, data protection reasons".

[John Walliker]

Yes, it is just a serial number. Some versions append some extra digits to the end of the number to indicate temperature. However, as the chip is often just under the skin, they often read around 0.5deg low.

John

[David Wade]

You can buy readers for around £30 on Amazon. You can't use an SDR as the chip needs to be energised by the reader. I haven't found an android app to read the chip. Most android phones have NFC readers but i haven't found any one who has managed to read a pet chip with a phone. There are apps in the Play Store but all they do is interface to one of the readers mentioned above...

As others have said all the chip stores is a number. You then need to find out which database its stored in, as there are many in the UK.

and then look up in the actual database...... ..... unless of course its not a UK dog......

Dave

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Thanks, it sounds as if I would be on an hiding for nothing to even find out, with no certainty it would include the DOB. I have just remembered I have some photos going back a few years on various cameras and I might be able to pin down an age from those.

[Brian]

I don?t claim to be an expert but I suspect any data on DOB is going to be approximate. More likely you will find the date the chip was inserted, which I believe should be within a should period of birth ( weeks / months). The breeder may tell the vet. 25 / 11/ 21 but the vet has no way of being sure if this is correct - even if the breeder believes it is. I am sure some breeders record such things but others??

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

That depends on what they wrote in n the first place. I doubt it if it was a rescue dog.

I only found out the other day that there are two systems in use in the world. One is where just a number is used, and a database is looked up for the chip details, and the other is where the data can be written to the chip and read from it.

Like most things, its all down to what the choices were at the time, one assumes. Btrian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

OK why would you need a dog with a temp sensor in it? Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

So when a dog dies, how do they know to remove it from the database then? Brian

[Andy Burns]

To save the vet having to stick a thermometer up its arse?

[John Walliker]

In theory, yes. In reality, the vet still uses a thermometer up its arse because the temperature readings from the chip are unreliable. John

[newshound]

It possibly makes sense though for countries where rabies is still endemic. I'm assuming rabies causes a fever, so early warning would let you take more precautions.

[Tim+]

In countries where rabies is endemic probably don?t have chipped dogs!

Tim

[John Brown]

Tim+ [e-mail] wrote

North America does.

[newshound]

Less than when sticking a thermometer up its bum though.