# Biotherm microchip



## CarrieBradshaw (Dec 19, 2010)

I've read on here in the last week or so about the Biotherm version of the identity microchip, which be used for temperature checking, which was interesting to me and food for thought, since I'm very near to the time to get my kittens neutered, which would be a good time to get their microchips done.

Unfortunately, the fact that a premium skincare brand is also called Biotherm (which makes me wonder if it's the correct name!!) is hindering the Google results a bit. Is there a way of finding out about vets that offer this version aside from the obvious ringing round every single vet in the area?  I had thought that the manufacturer might have something akin to a 'Stockists' list, but I haven't found such a site yet, so any help would be much appreciated


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## kerfuffle (Nov 23, 2010)

Do you mean Bio-Thermo microchip?

New microchip IDs pet, takes its temperature | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET

The only vet I can find in the UK that is doing it at the moment is this: Microchipping

For £25, it's not a bad deal. But I haven't really looked that hard, so maybe there is one nearer to you?


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## CarrieBradshaw (Dec 19, 2010)

kerfuffle said:


> Do you mean Bio-Thermo microchip?
> 
> New microchip IDs pet, takes its temperature | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Newspaper | Find Articles at BNET
> 
> ...


Thanks! I saw a few articles that called it the Biotherm chip, but, as I said, it seemed a bit odd even simply from an ownership of brand names point of view - I'll have a proper look at your links now, hopefully I can find somewhere closer than Middlesex, though at this point it would just be to mull over an option, rather than because I definitely want to go for that chip. I have a new name to Google with now, but if anyone else has any guidance on practices or experience of the chip, I'd still appreciate it


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

CarrieBradshaw said:


> if anyone else has any guidance on practices or experience of the chip, I'd still appreciate it


no proper experience, just anecdotal "someone told me" kinda things....

I have heard that the biothermal chip doesn't always give accurate temp readings so many vets still insist on the use of a rectal thermometer. This kinda ties in with my own experience of the ear thermometer for cats, I was IN LOVE with this thing and was recommending it to everyone until I found out for myself that it wasn't always very accurate (in fact it was sometimes BADLY wrong). And for me with cats, I can't settle for 90% accuracy with a thermometer, it has to be 100%. So I dumped the (expensive) ear thermometer and went back to the old fashioned rectal ones.

The next point to consider, as far as I am aware, the cat owner can't scan the temp at home, that has to be done by a vet with the appropriate reader/scanner. So when you think at home that your cat may have a temp, you still have to get the rectal thermometer out.

So the way I see it is.... the owner still has to do rectal readings at home. Then we come to our vet who does have the biothermal chip reader, but he still has to stick a thermometer up their bums to check he is getting a proper reading from the biothermal chip. And when our vet (with the biothermal reader) is closed and we end up at an out of hours vet, chances are they don't even have the proper reader so it's the rectal thermometer again.

So while I ADORE the idea of this microchip, I still think it is ... well kinda still in it's infancy and maybe later models will be far more accurate and useful. Right now I don't think I would pay the extra for it. But I hope in a few years it will be
a) far more reliable
b) all vets will have the readers for them
c) readers will cheaply available for us to use at home

I wouldn't mind my cats being part of a kinda guinepig study group for this chip, I just don't want to pay a premium for the "privelege". And at more than double the price of the normal chip (well for me at least) that's what I feel they are doing right now. It doesn't workk properly, they are still ironing out many creases, but letting the consumer pay full price for their experimentation in practice.

Then I will get them


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

I have 3 cats. The older 2 have a Biotherm chip. This was done at our previous vet surgery at a cost of £18 each, rather than £12 for the regular chip. My cats are now seeing a different vet, and I enquired about having my 3rd cat microchipped when he was neutered a couple of weeks ago. The new vet said they do not use the Biochip as they feel it to be very unreliable with temperature readings and that it was a gimmick.

This was proven when I had to take my oldest boy to the vet for his booster. During this appointment, the vet checked him over generally, teeth etc and was going to take his temperature via the rectal method, when I mentioned he had a Biochip. The vet took his temperature via the chip 3 times, and each time it gave a different reading. 

As my cat wasn't poorly at the time he had the boosters, the vet said it wasn't necessary to stress him out more by doing a rectal temp, but should either of my older 2 cats (who have a Biochip) present with an illness, they would not rely on the chip for a temperature reading, but would always use the rectal method for accuracy. When I queried this, I was told the rectal temperature gives an accurate reading based on the core temperature, whereas the chip does not do this.


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## morgmonster (Jun 8, 2010)

The other thing with the bio-therm chips is that they have a much smaller transmitting radius, so they tend not to work with the microchip catflaps.


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## BlackCat (Feb 17, 2008)

Biothermo chips are sold by Animalcare Ltd - if your vet uses the brand 'Identichip' as opposed to Tracer / BackHome etc then they may have these chips, or can at least order one in for you (single chips can be ordered from the supplier).

From experience the temperature readings to tend to be accurate in healthy animals, though for sick ones rectal is more accurate. All of the newer (>2004) Identichip scanners will read Biothermo temperatures but remember that Identichip is the trade name, so if you buy a Bayer scanner for instance for their Tracer chips it will not read the temperature at all.

As for the cat flaps, Sureflap (the first microchip number enabled cat flap) has undergone a number of reconfigurations and the newer models are compatible with Identichip Biothermo. There is another newer cat flap that I can't remember the name of, however this is very limited to the actual _brands_ of chip it is compatible with.


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

BlackCat said:


> Biothermo chips are sold by Animalcare Ltd - if your vet uses the brand 'Identichip' as opposed to Tracer / BackHome etc then they may have these chips, or can at least order one in for you (single chips can be ordered from the supplier).
> 
> *From experience the temperature readings to tend to be accurate in healthy animals, though for sick ones rectal is more accurate.* All of the newer (>2004) Identichip scanners will read Biothermo temperatures but remember that Identichip is the trade name, so if you buy a Bayer scanner for instance for their Tracer chips it will not read the temperature at all.
> 
> As for the cat flaps, Sureflap (the first microchip number enabled cat flap) has undergone a number of reconfigurations and the newer models are compatible with Identichip Biothermo. There is another newer cat flap that I can't remember the name of, however this is very limited to the actual _brands_ of chip it is compatible with.


At the time my cat was scanned and had 3 different temperature readings, he was well; he was just at the vet for his booster. The chip was fitted in Jan 2010, his booster was in Aug 2010, so it's not as if the chip was old 

I think the concept of the Biochip is great - anything to avoid having a thermometer up your cat's bum, but while the reliability is in question, then I don't think I would recommend it to anyone.


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

dougal22 said:


> At the time my cat was scanned and had 3 different temperature readings, he was well; he was just at the vet for his booster. The chip was fitted in Jan 2010, his booster was in Aug 2010, so it's not as if the chip was old
> 
> I think the concept of the Biochip is great - anything to avoid having a thermometer up your cat's bum, but while the reliability is in question, then I don't think I would recommend it to anyone.


this ties in completely with everything I have heard about this chip. It would be very interesting if Black Cat could elaborate if his/her experiences are based on actual use of the chip or just on the manufacturers blurb.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Can't speak for cats, but my dog has one of these. He only had it put in last week, so can't tell you about how it will work with a high temperature, I only know it showed normal when the vet tested it.

I had it put in because my dog has a serious fear of anyone getting under his tail and it is not possible to get anywhere near that area without knocking him out. So I hope what you are all saying is wrong, as I really need to rely on the microchip. I shall ask my vet next time I see him.


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## pamela Renfrew (Jun 9, 2010)

My German Shepherd Dog had one of these put in him when he was a pup........almost 14 years ago now....... It worked perfectly when the vet ever had to take a temp reading........ Pamx


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## BlackCat (Feb 17, 2008)

Tje said:


> this ties in completely with everything I have heard about this chip. It would be very interesting if Black Cat could elaborate if his/her experiences are based on actual use of the chip or just on the manufacturers blurb.


Nope, no blurb  all based on my own uses of this chip.

My young dog and my now passed away old Lab both had Biothermo chips, and I regularly tested the temperature between the chip and rectally and in good health the readings were both accurate of one another. However in _some_ sick animals (certainly not all) i.e those that already have a high temperature, when reading the temp with the scanner, the difference can be between 1-3 degrees C within an hour or two of their rectal temperature being taken. For this reason it would be worth gaining an initial temperature with a standard thermometer, check with the scanner for the chip temp reading and then alternate to assess how accurate it is. Like I said though this certainly isn't the case with all readings, the vast majority I have found to be accurate in both sick and healthy animals.


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## Tje (Jan 16, 2010)

BlackCat said:


> Nope, no blurb  all based on my own uses of this chip.
> 
> My young dog and my now passed away old Lab both had Biothermo chips, and I regularly tested the temperature between the chip and rectally and in good health the readings were both accurate of one another. However in _some_ sick animals (certainly not all) i.e those that already have a high temperature, when reading the temp with the scanner, the difference can be between 1-3 degrees C within an hour or two of their rectal temperature being taken. For this reason it would be worth gaining an initial temperature with a standard thermometer, check with the scanner for the chip temp reading and then alternate to assess how accurate it is. Like I said though this certainly isn't the case with all readings, the vast majority I have found to be accurate in both sick and healthy animals.


Thanks for the reply BC, it's hands on experience and that is ALWAYS good to hear. Don't get me wrong, I REALLLLLLY want these things to work, I am just not convinced they do, yet! i.e. Dougal getting 3 different readings on a healthy cat. (hearing different versions of the same from pet owners and vets alike and my own recent issues with pet ear thermometers. all make me a wary consumer, hehe).


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## CarrieBradshaw (Dec 19, 2010)

dougal22 said:


> At the time my cat was scanned and had 3 different temperature readings, he was well; he was just at the vet for his booster. The chip was fitted in Jan 2010, his booster was in Aug 2010, so it's not as if the chip was old
> 
> I think the concept of the Biochip is great - anything to avoid having a thermometer up your cat's bum, but while the reliability is in question, then I don't think I would recommend it to anyone.


Thanks all for your further replies! Sorry for not replying to the thread sooner - hectic week, but all appreciated. I nipped back on whilst waiting to get a return call from a vet about whether they could order a chip in, since they didn't usually offer it, and saw Dougal's take on things...so by the time she'd rung back, I'd decided that, yes, the idea's great, but the product's probably not quite there yet. After which I felt much better! Ordinary chip being given to Moses when he is neutered tomorrow, whereas Jenny's waiting longer because she's such a tiny girl  And now at least I know the correct product name to keep an eye on the progress front!


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## dougal22 (Jun 18, 2010)

CarrieBradshaw said:


> Thanks all for your further replies! Sorry for not replying to the thread sooner - hectic week, but all appreciated. I nipped back on whilst waiting to get a return call from a vet about whether they could order a chip in, since they didn't usually offer it, and saw Dougal's take on things...so by the time she'd rung back, I'd decided that, yes, the idea's great, but the product's probably not quite there yet. After which I felt much better! Ordinary chip being given to Moses when he is neutered tomorrow, whereas Jenny's waiting longer because she's such a tiny girl  And now at least I know the correct product name to keep an eye on the progress front!


Best wishes for Moses; this time tomorrow he'll be minus his 'man berries' 
I had my youngest neutered a couple of weeks ago, he wasn't fazed by it at all, so hopefully Moses will be the same.


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