Implantable Animal ID Microchip

Two legitimate options, and we will tell you which one applies before production

• Pre-programmed with a number range allocated to you or to your distributor — the option for national programmes and tenders.
• Blank, for the registry to write at the point of registration — the option where the database issues the number itself.

• Scan the animal first. It may already be chipped, and a second chip confuses every future reading.
• Scan the pack and check the number against the barcode before implanting. This is where a mixed-up consignment is caught.
• Implant subcutaneously, midline, between the scapulae, needle angled caudally.
• Scan again to confirm the chip reads in place, then record the fifteen digits against the animal.

Who buys this

• Veterinary practices and clinics — the routine dog and cat implant.
• Shelters and rescue organisations — chipping on intake, and reuniting lost animals.
• Breeders and kennels — identity tied to pedigree records.
• Livestock and equine operations — ear root or nuchal ligament, where an ear tag is not the right form factor.
• Laboratories and fisheries — the 1.25 × 7 mm capsule, where nothing larger will pass.

Is this 134.2 kHz or 125 kHz?

134.2 kHz, FDX-B, to ISO 11784/11785. That is the international standard, and it is what shelters, veterinary practices and border posts read. Some legacy systems still run at 125 kHz, and a 125 kHz transponder is not picked up as a compliant device by a 134.2 kHz scanner. If your market still uses 125 kHz, tell us — it is a separate product and should not be mixed into an order intended for ISO compliance.

Which size do I need?

2.12 × 12 mm for dogs, cats and livestock, and it is the size the international scanning convention is built around. 1.4 × 8 mm suits small dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets where a smaller needle matters. 1.25 × 7 mm is for fish, small rodents and birds, where nothing larger can be implanted. The needle bore is fixed by the capsule, so the syringe and capsule travel together and cannot be mixed.

Where does it go, and can it move?

Subcutaneous, on the dorsal midline between the shoulder blades, needle angled toward the tail — that is where every scanner looks first. Chips can migrate down the flank, into the axilla or forward toward the neck, and a migrated chip reads perfectly while a routine sweep finds nothing. Depth matters as much as position: too shallow and it erodes through the skin, too deep and it sits under muscle where the field will not reach it.

My scanner found nothing. Is the animal unchipped?

Not necessarily. Start at the neck and shoulder, then sweep the entire body slowly and repeat. A 134.2 kHz field has to power the capsule before it can answer, so a fast sweep passes over before the chip responds. Thick coat, heavy fur and a struggling animal all shorten the distance the reader can work at.

Can the number be customised?

It can be pre-programmed, but it should be programmed to a number range allocated to you or your distributor rather than a number of your choosing. The ISO 11784 code carries a country code and a national identification number, and a registry will reject a number outside its allocated range even though every scanner reads it happily.

How long does the pack last, and how long does the chip last?

Two different figures. The sterile pack has a five-year shelf life from the sterilisation date printed on it, and sterility ends the moment the pack is opened — it is single use. The transponder is stated at ten years, which is the figure to check against the animal: a cat can live eighteen years.

Will my existing scanner read it?

If it is a 134.2 kHz ISO 11784/11785 reader — which is what the great majority of veterinary and shelter scanners are — yes. Read distance on a passive glass capsule is a few centimetres, so the reader has to be close to the body and moved slowly, because the field must power the chip before it can answer.

Is it ICAR certified?

The product is ICAR certified to ISO 11784/11785, with conformance tested to ISO 24631-1 and performance to ISO 24631-3. Ask us for the listing reference for the exact device and capsule size you are ordering, because a mark on a pack and a registry entry are not the same document and a tender will usually want the latter.

What do you need to quote?

Species and typical body size, capsule size, whether the number is pre-programmed and against which registry, the quantity, and the expiry date you need on delivery. 

Tell us the species and the registry

Those two answers fix the capsule size, the number format and the documentation. Send them with your volume and we will confirm the frequency, the ICAR listing and the expiry date on delivery before you order.

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