HomeAgain<sup>®</sup> Thermochip<sup>®</sup> for Equine
Beyond identification: Temperature sensing microchips for horses.
HomeAgain Thermochip combines a classic microchip with a built-in temperature biosensor.
Thermochip has the ability to measure a horse’s temperature at the microchip implantation site. It is an easy, safe, and quick alternative method of taking multiple temperature measurements.
Thermochips are Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) systems which offer unique and unalterable identification for horses.
The microchip is a passive transponder, each about the size of a grain of rice, programmed with a unique 15-digit identification number compatible with ISO Standards 11784 and 11785.
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Key features include:
- Microchips are pre-loaded in syringes with an easy to inject 12-gauge needle inside a sterile pouch
- The 15-digit identification number can be read by universal or ISO compliant readers
- Temperatures from Thermochip can be read by our universal scanners, the SureSense® Universal Microchip Readers or Global Pocket Reader® Plus (GPR+).
How Thermochip can be used in horses.
- To establish baseline temperature trends in individual horses
- Identify deviation from baseline trends for an individual
- Monitor temperature in hospitalised patients
- To help predict when mares are about to foal 1
- In conjunction with other clinical information, can assist in patient evaluation by providing temperature monitoring information.
HomeAgain Microchip Classic.
Microchips for Horses
Microchips are Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) systems which offer unique and unalterable identification for horses. The microchip is a passive transponder, each about the size of a grain of rice, programmed with a unique 15-digit identification number compatible with ISO Standards 11784 and 11785.
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Key structural and identification features include:
- Microchips are pre-loaded in syringes with an easy to inject 12-gauge needle inside a sterile pouch.
- Each Thermochip is capped with an inert biocompatible polymer coating, which can help keep the microchip from migrating by favouring tissue adhesion.
- The 15-digit identification number can be read by universal or ISO compliant readers, including the SureSense® Universal Microchip Readers or Global Pocket Reader® Plus (GPR+).
Global Pocket Reader® Plus (GPR+)
Microchip Scanner for Horses
The Global Pocket Reader Plus (GPR+) is an ISO compliant universal microchip scanner for horses. It is able to read and store up to 3,000 unique microchip identification numbers, and displays and stores microchip temperatures when reading Thermochips.
UK Microchipping Legislation
From October 2020 owners of all horses, ponies and donkeys are required to ensure they are microchipped.
Once a foal is born, it must be micochipped by a qualified veterinary surgeon before it is 6 months old or before 31st December in the year it is born. In order for a foal to move off a premises it must be microchipped.
The identification details of all horses are kept on the Central Equine Database (CED). The CED is the government database that holds the records of all equines in the UK. It is a legal requirement for all equines that live in the UK to be recorded on this database. The CED is managed by Equine Register on behalf of The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Useful Links
The Digital Stable - Activate your Equine's FREE Digital Passport Record
Compulsory Microchipping to Improve Horse Welfare - Press Release
Useful Resources
HomeAgain Thermochips are available to order through your Direct by MSD distribution partner.
To report an adverse reaction or product-related problem with HomeAgain microchips please fill in an adverse event form or alternatively call MSD Animal Health on 01908 685685.
For any further questions please contact us at homeagainuk@msd.com and a member of our team will respond to you as soon as possible.
References
1. Auclair-Ronzaud, J., Jousset, T., Dubois, C., Wimel, L., Jaffrézic, F. and Chavatte-Palmer, P., 2020. No-contact microchip measurements of body temperature and behavioural changes prior to foaling. Theriogenology, 157, pp.399-406
