May is Microchip month!

May 04, 2015

What is a microchip? Where does it go on my pet? Does it hurt my pet? How does it work?  What are the benefits? How does it help me get my pet back if they are lost?

A microchip in animals is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin. The chip is about the size of a large grain of rice. It uses passive RFID. RFID is Radio Frequency identification. It is inserted with a large needle in between the shoulder blades on the pet. Many pets don’t flinch or make a sound when it is inserted. In many hospitals it is inserted most commonly when the pet is spayed or neutered while under sedation. However, there are many times when the pet is fully awake and it is inserted with no reaction from the pet. Once the chip is inserted under the skin, you will never be able to feel it and your pet will not be able to feel it.

How does a microchip work? If your pet is lost and they are brought to a shelter, rescue or animal hospital, the first thing someone will do is scan them. Every shelter, rescue and animal hospital has a microchip scanner. The scanner is passed over your pet’s skin and beeps when a chip is detected. The scanner then populates the microchip ID. That ID can then be typed into an online database where it will either populate the owner’s information or it will say microchip not registered. By registering your personal contact information with the microchip company, the chances of reuniting with your lost pet are very high. The process of registering your per involves either going online or calling the company to submit your information including the microchip ID. It is also very important to update this information if your phone number or address changes. Visit this link to read all the details on microchips. http://public.homeagain.com/how-pet-microchipping-works.html

What are the benefits? Peace of mind. If you pet gets lost or stolen and for some reason doesn’t have a collar with tags on it, your pet has ID. You can get your pet back sooner. The other wonderful thing about microchipping is you can apply for a lifetime license. This means you can pay one flat fee and have your dog licensed for the rest of their life without ever having to do it every year. If you are interested in having a gps tracker on your pet visit this link. http://www.pettracker.com .

The question is not why microchip your pet, but why not?