UPDATE — MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY IN CANADA

The CVMA has played an integral role in the evolution of the microchip marketplace in Canada. Through the facilitation of a collaborative and collective approach amongst user groups, compatibility problems between the various products, which continue to plague this technology within the United States, were avoided here. The user groups that participated in these discussions included the CVMA, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), the Canadian Association of Animal Welfare Administrators (CAAWA), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. With their collective endorsement, the Canadian User-Based Standard was developed and supported with a CVMA-mediated review process that allowed for recognition of those manufacturers/distributors that provided a product that not only met this standard, but stringent database support requirements as well. This provided user group members with a valuable resource to assist in selecting a viable manufacturer/distributor when sourcing this product. To date, only 3 companies have made application and passed this review process; they are:

1. Anitech/PetNet located in Markham, Ontario; phone — 1-800-738-6385

2. AVID Canada located in Calgary, Alberta; phone — 1-800-338-1397

3. Microchips4Solutions/Pet ID located in Mitchell, Ontario — phone 1-877-738-4384

Microchips that adhere to the Canadian User-Based Standard represent the majority of microchips currently implanted within animals and are readily identified by the microchip readers from any of the aforementioned companies.

As stated in prior articles, the Canadian User-Based Standard was designed as an interim step while the issue of technology compatibility was deliberated and resolved by the International Standards Organization, a global standards-setting organization located in Geneva, Switzerland. It has established a global standard for microchip technology that has been in place for 5 years now and was recently reaffirmed, as part of its mandatory 5-year period review process. It has been implemented successfully in most well-established microchip marketplaces outside North America. Recognizing this as the future of this technology, the CVMA elected to sunset its support of the Canadian User-Based Standard in favor of the ISO standard as of January 1, 2002 (see CVMA Council Supports International Standards Organization (ISO) Microchip Standards in Canada (Can Vet J 2001;42: 99–101.) However, this support was predicated on a significant upgrading of the reader network to ensure that there was no breach in the recovery network integrity and user confidence. To facilitate this transition, the CVMA has published several articles providing transition period strategies (see “Microchipping” — A technology in transition (Can Vet J 2000;41:570–572) and information on readers (see “Microchipping Update” — Transition period strategies (Can Vet J 2001;42:522–523.) critical to the successful implementation of the ISO standard into the Canadian microchip marketplace. While certain geographic areas have made progress in this regard, others have not, so that the required upgrade of the reader system to both forward (ISO) and backward (Canadian User-Based Standard) compatible readers is not uniform and far from complete across Canada. This is compounded by the reluctance of the microchip marketplace in the United Sates to adopt the ISO standard and develop transition period strategies. The reasons for this are multifactorial and not the intended focus of this article, but they do present a challenge that needs to be taken into consideration and addressed with the end consumer, especially considering the relative mobility of pet owners in Canada. While continued evolution of the marketplace towards adoption of the ISO standard is still the ultimate goal, it must be clear that this standard applies to both the microchip and the reader. This distinction is critical, as the approach to implementing these 2 components of this technology will be different during the transition period. While it is critical to support the implementation of forward and backward compatible readers ONLY during this transition period, until this is well advanced, the use of Canadian User-Based Standard microchips is not only acceptable but may be preferred in certain situations. Consider the following points when contemplating the implementation of an ISO standard-based system.

1. The principal goal of all users should be to upgrade their existing readers to be both ISO (forward) and Canadian User-Based Standard (backward) compatible. The ideal time to do this is when purchasing new readers at the time of reader repair or maintenance. Do not settle for readers that will only read one form of this technology. Liaise with members of your community's recovery network (shelters, humane societies, etc.) to ensure that they too have upgraded their reader network. If this hasn't occurred in your area, it is premature to introduce ISO-standard microchips, and preference should be given to Canadian User-Based Standard microchips.

2. Assess the pet owner's needs when deciding which is the best product to recommend. Consider the following:

   1. If the recovery network reader base has been upgraded to both forward and backward compatible readers and the pet owners do not intend to move or travel extensively with their pet, consider using an ISO-standard microchip. Remember, a true ISO-standard microchip has 15 numeric digits in its code with the first 3 identifying the manufacturer (these 3 digits should therefore, be consistent between microchips made by the same manufacturer).

   2. Regardless of the status of the recovery network in your area, if your clients plan to travel with their pet outside your area, especially to the United States, it is better to use a Canadian User-Based Standard microchip.

   3. If your client is planning to move, whether to another location in Canada or to the United States, it is safest to use a Canadian User-Based Standard microchip at this time. The exception to this would be if information gathered about the pet owner's new locale meets the criteria set out in 2A above.

   4. If your client is planning to move outside North America, principally to Europe or the Pacific Rim (Australia), an ISO standard microchip is quickly becoming mandatory in these locations. Other global areas are varied, and it would be best to contact the appropriate authorities of the country in question.

The CVMA believes that adoption and movement towards complete integration of the ISO standard is sound, as it places the Canadian microchip marketplace in unity with the overall evolution of the global microchip marketplace and will provide us with the infrastructure to make full use of the many applications that this technology will offer us in the not to distant future. However, reader upgrade to ISO-compatible readers must precede actual ISO-standard microchip use.

(by Dr. Walt Ingwersen, Chair, CVMA Microchip Advisory Committee, and Co-chair, WSAVA Microchip Committee; and Canadian Delegate to ISO TC23/SC19/WG3, Whitby, Ontario)

Dr./D^r Walt Ingwersen