Frequently Asked Questions

Microchips have a unique identification number. If a pet gets lost and is taken to a vet clinic or animal shelter, it should be scanned for a microchip to reveal the unique ID number. When a microchip scanner is passed over a pet, the microchip gets enough power from the scanner to transmit the microchip’s ID number. That number then needs to be entered into a pet recovery service and the rightful pet owner should be contacted using the contact information on file. For microchips to work they need to be registered.

When registered and scanned correctly, microchips will work almost every time. When a pet owner registers a pet’s microchip, the owner’s contact information can be looked up via a unique code. The code is retrieved by an external scanner via radio-frequency identification (RFID).

RFID stands for radio-frequency identification. A pet microchip is a passive RFID transponder: it has no battery and does nothing on its own. When a scanner is held within a few inches, the scanner’s radio field powers the chip just long enough for it to transmit its unique identification number.

Microchip frequency is the frequency of the radio wave. Microchips in the US are 1 of 3 frequencies; 125 kiloHertz (kHz), 128 kHz, and 134.2 kHz. Other examples of things that use RFID (radio-frequency identification) include EZ Pass for toll booths and electronic tags to prevent shoplifting.

No more than a routine vaccination. The chip is implanted with a needle in a few seconds, with no anaesthetic and no surgery; most animals react the way they react to a shot. Peeva microchips are slightly smaller than other brands, so the syringe is smaller too. They comply with ISO 11784/11785 and operate at 134.2 kHz.

A microchip lasts the lifetime of your pet. It has no battery and no moving parts, so there is nothing to run down and nothing to expire. What can lapse is the registration behind it: a record with an old phone number is as good as no record, so keep your contact details current.

No. A microchip stores exactly one thing: a unique identification number. It holds no medical records, no owner details and no location.

Everything useful lives in the registry that number is linked to. Peeva pairs the microchip number with the pet’s medical records in its registry, so a veterinary professional in the Peeva network who scans the chip can pull up the record, and you are notified of the scan. The chip itself never changes.

No. This is a common misconception about pet microchips. Microchips are RFID implants that are activated when a reader is passed over it at close range. GPS is much too large to be implanted into an elephant let alone a dog or cat.

No. Phones do not have RFID readers at the frequencies pet microchips use, and there is no scanner app on any platform. Reading a chip requires a dedicated scanner. Why there is no microchip scanner app.

No app can read a chip, but you can check whether a microchip number is registered with our free microchip lookup. If you do not know the number, any veterinary clinic or shelter can scan your pet and read it out.

Peeva’s Arf-ID microchip is an ISO 11784/11785 chip operating at 134.2 kHz, so any ISO-compatible scanner can read it, and at a slightly longer range than older frequencies. It is slightly smaller than other microchips, which means a smaller syringe and an implant no more invasive than a routine vaccination. It is ICAR certified. More about Peeva microchips.

Microchips are “reactive” because they are permanent and can’t be tampered with. So if someone takes your pet’s collar off and eventually takes it to a vet in the Peeva network, you will be notified right away.

Yes. You first need to register the microchip with Peeva. You should also have it checked every time you go to a vet to make sure it didn’t migrate to another part of your pet’s body which can sometimes happen.

Once your pet is microchipped, there are only three things you need to do:

1. Make sure the microchip is registered with Peeva
2. Ask your veterinarian to scan it at least once to see if it works
3. Keep your contact information up-to-date in the Peeva registry

We have not found a medical or practical one. Adverse reactions are rare and usually minor: temporary swelling at the site, or a chip migrating a short distance under the skin, which affects readability rather than health. A microchip is the only permanent identification a pet will have.

The real risk is an unregistered chip. A chip only works if it is enrolled in a registry that keeps the record current and answers the phone. What a microchip does, and what it cannot do.

No. Many cities and counties legally require a rabies tag on the collar, and a microchip does not satisfy that requirement. What Peeva adds is a record that stays with the pet: a vet, groomer or daycare in the Peeva network can confirm current vaccinations by scanning the chip, and the record is reachable 24/7/365 when a clinic or county office is closed.

Microchipping animals comes with minimal to no risks and offers numerous benefits. It’s important to note that not all shelters or veterinary clinics routinely scan for microchips unless specifically requested, and they are cognizant of concerns related to missing implanted microchips. In certain cases, extra measures to detect a microchip may not be taken before decisions regarding euthanasia or adoption are made. While some “universal” scanners have been introduced, they may not be truly universal as they cannot detect various microchip frequencies used for different brands of microchips. Peeva is actively addressing this issue to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of microchip scanning and reuniting lost pets with their owners.

Yes. Most veterinary clinics implant microchips during a routine appointment, and many shelters and rescues chip every animal they adopt out. Ask for an ISO 134.2 kHz chip so any scanner can read it, and register it in your name the same day.

Call the shelter, or have it scanned by a vet or pet store in Peeva’s network. The shelter should have scanned the animal before letting you adopt it. And if they could only detect a chip and not read it- you or they should have it scanned somewhere else. It’s not cool if you have someone else’s dog or cat. Some shelters implant microchips into every animal they adopt out, so check with the shelter and find out your new pet’s microchip number so you can get it registered in your name and then register it with Peeva to ensure that your information is available across all devices and hidden (encrypted) behind a company firewall. You can also ask a vet in the Peeva network to scan for a chip. The Peeva scanner will ensure your chip is read.

Yes. However, both will need to be registered. Very few pets are microchipped twice so a vet tech or shelter worker will assume the first chip read is the only microchip a pet has. Microchip scanners do not read multiple chips simultaneously.

Yes. A microchip can fail to result in reunification even when implanted correctly due to incompatible scanners, failure to scan, an unregistered chip, or outdated owner contact information. The chip itself may function, but the system around it can fail.

Some scanners cannot read all frequencies, scanning may be rushed or incomplete, or the chip may have migrated slightly. These factors can cause a present microchip to be missed.

Scanners read the first chip detected. If that chip is unregistered, it may be assumed the pet has no usable registration—even if a second, registered chip is present.

They do not interfere electronically, but only one chip can be read at a time. If the unregistered chip is detected first, it can block access to the registered chip’s data.

While rare, physical trauma or manufacturing defects can render a chip unreadable. Most failures, however, are procedural—not technological.

Cats are less likely to be scanned, more likely to be assumed feral, and more often lack up-to-date registration. In Peeva’s missing-pet study, 96% of cats reported missing were never found, against 77% of dogs. See the research.

No. The identification number is written at manufacture and cannot be changed. What can change is the registry record it points to, which is why registration and transfers of ownership matter.