Is Microchipping a Must?

Technologyrnhas come a long way. That’s true in every aspect of our lives, andrnmore recently, in how we protect and locate our pets.

Evenrnthe most careful pet owners are bound to make mistakes. Moreover,rnpets can have an uncanny ability to get to the places they want tornbe, even if it is somewhere they are not supposed to be. While wernwould like to trust that a collar and a tag will get our pets backrnhome safe, there is no guarantee.

That’srnwhere microchips come in. Microchippingrnhasrnbecome a popular way of protecting and locating our pets, but we knowrnyou may still have some reservations. This article will go over whatrnyou need to know about microchipping.

What is microchipping?

Arnpetrnmicrochip isrna small (the size of a grain of rice) glass cylinder that is insertedrnvia injection in between a pet’s shoulder blade. The purpose of arnpetrnmicrochip isrnto be able to locate the owner/s of said pet if the pet were to getrnaway. This is done with a specialized scanner that activates thernmicrochip when brushed over. The chip contains the phone number andrnregistry number of the person who registered it. This allows arnshelter or vet to contact the owner so they can retrieve their pet.

Is it safe?

Yes.rnIn fact, it is more common than not these days for a pet to bernmicrochipped while they are being spayed or neutered. Because theyrnare not conscious during the procedure, they don’t even feel it.rnAnd, because of the location of the dogrnmicrochip,rnthey feel it less and less as time goes on. In fact, the muscles ofrnyour pet form around the chip in about 24 hours, keeping it firmly inrnplace.

Do you have to microchip your pet?

Thatrndepends on where you live. If you are in Australia or the UnitedrnKingdom, then yes, it is required. In the United States, it isrnoptional, as it is in most of Canada — yet certain regions inrnCanada do require that your pet is microchipped.

Am I guaranteed to get my pet back if they are microchipped?

Sadly,rnno. While microchipping is a great option for locating your pet, itrnis not foolproof.

Itrnis more likely for a neighbor or someone who isn’t a vet to findrnyour pet. The chances of them owning a scanner that can read arnmicrochip are slim. Because of this, the traditional system ofrncollaring and tagging is still recommended and your best bet atrnmaking sure that your pet returns home if lost.

Otherrnreasons involve the technology itself. Universal scanners arernrelatively new, which means that your pet might wind up at a vet orrnshelter that has a scanner that won’t recognize their chip.

Itrnis also possible for a pet to have a matching ID number as arndifferent pet, as there used to be several registries through therndifferent scanning companies.

Anotherrnpossibility, though rare, is that the chip itself migrates inside thernanimal. Once this happens, it can become impossible to locate.

What are some of the benefits of microchipping?

Whilerna microchip isn’t a foolproof measure to get your pet back, it isrnrecommended for many reasons.

• Mostrntanimal shelters and veterinary clinics will have scanners to helprntlocate the owner of a pet. Oftentimes, so will police or firerntdepartments.

• Oncerntthe microchip is placed, it is there for life. If the worst happens,rntyou at least have hope that your animal will make their way to arntshelter.

• Therntlifespan of a microchip is designed to be 25 years, so once it isrntinserted, you will likely never have to replace it.

• Yourntcan change your information through your registry whenever you needrntto. It is inexpensive.

• Itrntis a quick and mostly painless procedure for the animal.

• It’srntbetter for employees of shelters and clinics. Animals withrntmicrochips are returned much more quickly to their proper homes thanrntanimals without.

Ifrnyou are in the Jacksonville area and have more questions aboutrnmicrochipping,rnplease contact ForeverrnVetsoday!