Microchip identification can be you pets permanent ticket home.
A lost pet that cannot be returned home because of lack of identification is a very sad situation.
A microchip ID for your pet can mean the difference between lost and found. While collars and ID tags are extremely valuable tools in returning lost pets to their homes, they can be removed, lost or damaged when a pet is on the loose.
YOUR PET’S MICROCHIP
A microchip is permanent, affordable identification your dog or cat can always wear. Implanting a microchip is quick, easy and painless. Your veterinarian injects a tiny computer chip – about the size of a grain of rice – just under your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades.
The injection is performed with a hypodermic needle slightly larger than those used for vaccinations. No anesthesia is required. The chip stays in place and bears an ID code detected with a handheld scanner.
Each microchip is connected to an online registry of owner contact information. In the event that your pet is lost and taken to a shelter or veterinary hospital, he will be scanned for a microchip. If the contact information on file is up to date, you can be quickly notified and reunited with your pet.
Almost all animal shelters in the U.S. have been supplied with the scanners by the microchip’s manufacturer.
DOES A MICROCHIP REPLACE TAGS?
Collars and current tags are still the quickest and easiest way to identify a pet’s owner. Additionally, most cities also require pets to have both rabies tags and a city license – information that is not provided by a microchip. Using tags and a microchip together is the best way to ensure your pet’s safe return.
DO I NEED MY INDOOR CAT MICROCHIPPED?
Cats are excellent escape artists. While it’s great that you’re keeping your cat safe indoors, there’s always a chance that he could escape through a door left ajar by a guest or repair person, or through a window with a loose screen. Since there’s always a chance your cat could get out, it’s best to make sure he is microchipped.
DO MICROCHIPS WEAR OUT?
Microchips do not wear out, as they do not have batteries or moving parts. The chip is activated by radio waves emitted by the scanner as it is passed over the implantation site.
