Which pet microchip scanner is the best?

There are many pet microchip scanners available at prices from $25 to $625. What is the difference, and how can you choose the best one for your needs?
Written article with links mentioned in the video:
firststreetpets.com/which-pet...
• How to scan for a pet ...
• How to get FREE microc...

[@gginkc]

FYI. On the halo scanner, if you press down the power button for 5 seconds, it will show the list of chips scanned history on the display of the scanner

[@davPaladin]

Thank you! I called and they knew who you were. We are ordering today with out non - profit status as a rescue. Started a goFundme for it. We find and deal with.. a lot of lost pets needed the best option. Hero. welp ... you are a hero... you showed us the way to help more dogs

[@Reaper66628]

Plug it into the computer OPEN word pad then TURN on the scanmer and press and HOLD the power button all the codes u have scanned will show on the screen. 😊

[@calidistro]

This couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Thank you!

[@FirstStreetPets]

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful.

[@Airon79]

The protocols for chips and tags are : ISO 11784 and 11785 , FDX-A and B , HDX , emid , and ID64 and the frequencies are : 125khz , 128khz , and 134khz so a lot of parameters they need to be matched up for them to read .

[@user-ry4ks6hx5i]

Great job on the video. Very easy to follow, thank you!

[@ultrabuttercup7]

Thank you this was extremely helpful!

[@FirstStreetPets]

you're welcome!

[@sharynb4602]

I run a small cat rescue in Florida, Animal Allies Florida. I learned from this video. Thank you for making it.

[@FirstStreetPets]

You're welcome! Which scanner did you choose?

[@ninathumbelina9723]

Thanks for this review! Ended up buying the Hero Advanced Reader per your recommendation 🙏

[@FirstStreetPets]

You're welcome! Thanks for helping pets and people in your community.

[@thomaskjems1981]

On the halo you can recall the last 40 Numbers, when it is turned off you just hold the power buttom in for 10sec and release it 👍

[@DonnaLane-pw4rg]

Thank you for the information

[@julieking4304]

exactly what i needed, thanks!

[@FirstStreetPets]

Glad it helped!

[@doubtazul]

Thank you for such a thorough review of pet scanners. I can't afford much now so the halo sounds about decently priced for the moment. I feed cats do TNR and come across dumped or missing cats from time to time. Thanks again!:❤

[@FirstStreetPets]

You're welcome! There are also opportunities for free scanners for charitable work. Try AKC Reunite.

[@tinkeroonie]

Excellent video!

[@FirstStreetPets]

Thank you very much!

[@angelicajoyce1171]

Thank you❤

[@Cm-de5sb]

THANKS!!!

[@davidwho8215]

Nowadays you could take a picture of the number on the scanner with your phone, and the phone can strip the number out for you.

[@EastmanEditing]

Thank you for this! Also perfect timing for me. For many reasons couldn't get straight to a vet yet but didn't want to wait to figure out if a stray cat in bad shape had an owner or not. Have one arriving tomorrow so hoping to reunite if he has an owner or go from there if not and get him a checkup and treatments for some basic health issues if need be!

[@EastmanEditing]

(by bad shape I mean he is perky and not in need of emergency care, but was covered in fleas and had some skin rashes that I put ointment on already. He was very hungry as well and on the skinny side! I am giving him shelter until I can get in to the first vet appt available in my town and have flea drops arriving overnight in the same shipment!)

[@FirstStreetPets]

Thank you for helping this kitty! Please comment with an update.

[@dcwatashi]

@@EastmanEditingwhich one did you get

[@EastmanEditing]

I ended up getting a $20 one on Amazon with great reviews because the cat I found isn't old enough to have an older chip. I also learned you can use a metal stud finder to see if there's any type of chip at all (including the old ones) so for good measure I used one of those too on him and nothing showed up anywhere on his body. The scanner I got also didn't show anything and neither did the one at the vet when I took him, so I have decided to adopt him. Unfortunately he tested positive for FIV and has worms (from a bad flea infestation) so we're getting some more testing done next week and got him on dewormer. (But he is acting pretty perky now and LOVES to eat so I'm hopeful he will continue to heal over the next few weeks and the tests will come back all clear for anything more serious!) @@dcwatashi

[@12symmo]

What would be great is if they didn’t all make high pitched beeps that freak out the animals you’re trying to scan. Seems kind of obvious. The beeps are freaking my cat out just from watching this video on my phone.

[@menivek]

Hi I'm in the UK I have a Smoostart device which looks to be the same or very sinilar device to Mindpet you reviewed. The way to transfer the read codes to a host PC is to connect via usb cable , open Notepad app in Windows ,press the scan button for 3 seconds and the number will appear in the Notepad window, there may be some other lines of additional characters but the code will appear on it's own line. I suspect that this will be the same on the Mindpet.

[@FirstStreetPets]

@menivek thanks for the tip! This makes sense because the computer identifies the scanner as a "keyboard" so whatever characters appear on the scanner screen can be transferred to the computer as if you were typing or using a voice to text app.

[@google1339]

Thanks for the beautiful informative channel I am very happy to finally find a smart person who knows what is RFID are and I subscribe to your channel to learn more about the matter. Here is my story❓ Few Years ago I have implanted or put RFID grain size in my maxillary sinus through my nasal canal for education purposes. Last month I decided to take it out. I went to ENT specialist and I did CT Scan but it did not shows any image of the RFID. The ENT specialist said we still can take it out without need for the CT Scan or the X-ray by surgery. my problem is : I don't remember if I put the RFID in the right maxillary sinus or in the left maxillary sinus. My question is: and I hope you can help me with this issue. Is there an apparatus I can use to detect the correct place or position of the RFID? and if so what is the brand name and we're can I find it to buy it. This will save me a lot of money and pain . Once I detect the correct place of the RFID I will only need one surgery to take it out. Thank you very much for your time.

[@FirstStreetPets]

This comment wins the internet today 😁

[@ultrabuttercup7]

Just bought the Halo and it absolutley reads avid 9 digit chips!!!!

[@FirstStreetPets]

That's great! It really is the best deal for the price.

[@dcwatashi]

No, it doesn’t. I have two cats here with the nine digit chip, and the halo does not read it.

[@sritussss]

I was struggling with the first one as well, I've already sent one back, thinking it's faulty. I've bought a newer version with bluetooth in it (I like that it's small, easy to carry on in a small bag), but this one didn't bring any numbers up either. At the same time, it opened my alarm, setting changing the time, which was weird, and it's tried to open my phone when it was locked, doing random things, etc. As I was searching for the issue, I've seen a video where a guy had a notepad open on his pc, and it was working for him. You have to open a notepad so it has somewhere to throw the numbers. Wherever your cursor is, it will throw the numbers there. Hope this helps as this type of scanner is pretty cheap and works just fine otherwise.

[@FirstStreetPets]

Very interesting, thank you. Reading the various directions I finally understood how this works when I realize the computer/tablet/phone sees the scanner as a keyboard. Whatever numbers come up on the scanner will be inserted into any place the cursor is located. That explains the scanner changing your alarms etc. I think the lesson here is to use an app like a notepad specifically for this purpose and to make sure the scanner is turned off or Bluetooth is disabled when not in use.

[@joshpalm3964]

Is there anything special for reading the chips that also show temperature of will any of these show the temp with the ID?

[@FirstStreetPets]

I plan on doing a video about the temperature sensing chips but haven't started my research yet. Stay tuned.

[@ultrabuttercup7]

Bought the halo and only picked up 4 of seven cats, all are chipped. Picked up both avid and home again, but couldn't find 3 avids. Could it possibly not always work?

[@FirstStreetPets]

@ultrabuttercup7 interesting. AVID has been the holdout all these years with a different frequency and 9 digits. I suggest having those cats scanned with another universal scanner or an AVID scanner to see if they actually are chipped. In future I recommend using Home Again or any of the other ISO 15 digit chips that can be read by any scanner.

[@marilyn6835]

I would like to get one that also reads the pets temperature. I don't think you cover that ?

[@FirstStreetPets]

I hadn't heard of this so had to look it up! Looks like Home Again sells a chip specifically for this purpose. I'll have to do some research.

[@marjorieburghart4909]

The Halo reader can read Thermochips. Of course to be able to read the temperature, your pet must have a Thermochip chip

[@sydniebauch5357]

Do any of the chips work on horses?

[@FirstStreetPets]

Yes horses can be microchipped! Ask your veterinarian as the procedure is more involved than with dogs and cats.

[@davidl9168]

@@FirstStreetPetswitch one works best for horse checking?

[@AJXOXO-vz1pn]

Why would you want to transfer a whole bunch of saved scanned numbers to your computer?

[@FirstStreetPets]

If you are working in an animal shelter or vet hospital you are handling many microchip numbers at a time. Getting those numbers wrong will negate the regstration.

[@AJXOXO-vz1pn]

@@FirstStreetPets oh. I didn’t know that. Thanks.

[@spacecatboy2962]

so you scan and get a number, then what

[@FirstStreetPets]

Then you can check to see if the chip is registered.

[@Airon79]

But will some of these scanners give you the pet's ID # and it's home address ?

[@FirstStreetPets]

@@Airon79 no, the scanner will only show the number. It's like the scanner that reads the products at the grocery store. From there you search the chip number with the registry to get in touch with the pet's owner.