When your vet says your pet’s microchip “isn’t registered”
Don’t panic — it almost always is. Here’s why it happens, and how to confirm it in under a minute.
If someone at your vet practice has told you that your pet’s microchip doesn’t seem to be registered, it’s completely natural to feel a flutter of worry. The good news: if you’ve registered your pet with MyPet, their details are almost certainly safe and sound on our database — and findable by any vet, rescue or other authorised user in the UK. This kind of mix-up happens from time to time, and there’s nearly always a simple explanation.
First, the good news
Once you’ve completed your pet’s registration with MyPet, and you've got your registration certificate, their microchip number is linked to your contact details on our Defra-compliant database.
We’re one of the databases that UK vets, rescues and councils use every day to reunite lost pets with their families. If you’ve had a registration confirmation from us, your pet is on the system.
Why your vet might not have seen it
There are two common reasons a microchip can look “unregistered” at the practice, even when it isn’t:
- The chip was checked before registration was finished. If your pet was scanned in the short window between the chip being implanted and the registration being completed, the record may simply not have been live yet. Once registration is done, the details appear.
- It’s a misunderstanding about how to check. Knowing which database holds a particular chip — and how to log in to see the details — isn’t always obvious. A busy team member may not have searched in the way we’d recommend, so the record didn’t come up for them.
How vets actually check a microchip
It can help to know how the process is meant to work, so you can gently point your practice in the right direction:
- Around 3,500 vets have direct access to the MyPet database. Many practices can log straight in and see your details.
- To find which database holds a chip, a vet usually searches a free lookup site such as Check a Chip. It points them to the right database — it doesn’t display your personal details itself.
- If they have a direct login (as most do), they log in and pull up your details.
- If they don’t, they can call our 24/7 phone line on 0800 368 4150 — any time, day or night — and we’ll confirm the registration for them.
Check it yourself in under a minute
Want to put your mind at rest right now? You can look up your pet’s chip yourself:
- Grab your pet’s 15-digit microchip number (it’s on your registration confirmation, or on the paperwork from your vet).
- Pop it into Check a Chip or our own MyPet chip checker.
- You should see MyPet listed as the database holding the record. That’s your confirmation that your pet is registered and can be found.
P.S. A pet microchip is usually 15 digits. If yours looks different, get in touch and we’ll help you check.
What to share with your vet
If your practice still isn’t sure, here’s everything they need:
- Call us free, day or night, on 0800 368 4150 to confirm any registration.
- Set up direct access to our database — it’s free for practices.
- Read our short guide for practice teams: How to use Defra-compliant microchip databases to find a pet’s details.
Still worried? We’re here, day or night
If you’d like us to double-check your pet’s registration personally, we’re happy to help. Contact our support team.