Pet Microchips

​If you have ever lost your pet, you know how painful of an ordeal it can be.  Unfortunately, most pets that are lost are never reunited with their families.  In fact, according to HomeAgain, 1 out of 3 pets will go missing during their lifetime and without proper identification, 90% of them will never make it home.   At the very least, we recommend an ID tag attached to a collar.  An even better idea would be to have your pet microchipped.

What is a Microchip?

​Pet microchips are small, electronic devices about the size of a grain of rice, that is implanted under your pet’s skin which provides a permanent identification number that, in the event your pet is lost, can link your pet to you with a simple scan of the device.   Most veterinarians and animal shelters have a microchip scanner which detects the microchip and provides them with the unique identification number so the lost pet can be reported and hopefully reunited with their family.   

How Can I Get One?

​Microchip implantation is easy and is no more painful than a normal injection.  Your pet does not need to be sedated or put under general anesthesia to get a microchip and it can be implanted at any routine veterinary visit.  It is registered and your pet is protected within 24 hours.  Many clients choose to have their pets microchipped during routine spay/neuter surgery, and that is fine too.  There is no maintenance or subscription required to keep the microchip active.  Once the microchip is registered, it will stay in the database for the pet’s lifetime.  However, it is important to make sure that you notify the microchip company should your contact information change.  

Do Microchips Really Work?

​Do microchips really work?  Yes, they do!  According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, a study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters  showed that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 21.9% of the time, whereas microchipped dogs were returned to their owners 52.2% of the time. Cats without microchips were reunited with their owners only 1.8% of the time, whereas microchipped cats went back home 38.5% of the time. (Lord et al, JAVMA, July 15, 2009)  If you want to give your pet the best shot at reunification should they be accidentally lost, microchipping your pet is the best guarantee.  Identification tags on your pet’s collar can fall off and become lost, whereas microchips are a permanent solution regardless of whether the pet is wearing a collar.  

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