ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN HUMANE ASSOCIATION,
1 OUT OF 3 PETS
will go missing at some point in their lives. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) claims that only 22% of missing dogs and 2% of missing cats without a microchip get returned to their owners. The good news is, the odds of a happy reunion more than doubles for dogs. For cats, the percentage jumps to almost 39%.
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Why You Should Microchip Your Pet
The leash broke, the gate wasn’t locked, the wind blew the front door open, there was a hole under the fence. These are just a few of the many ways a pet can become separated from you. It can happen to even the most responsible pet owners. That’s why, at the very least, we recommend that you have a collar with an ID tag on your pet at all times. But to give them a permanent form of identification that can’t be removed like an ID tag, we recommend a microchip.
A microchip is a small device, about the size of a grain of rice, that’s implanted under the surface of skin near a pet’s shoulder blades. The process is quick and painless, comparable to a vaccination, and no anesthesia is required. Each microchip contains a unique ID number that gets assigned to the pet/pet owner.
After your pet’s microchip is implanted, it needs to be registered online with their name, your name, and your contact information. That way, if your pet ever goes missing and is taken to a veterinary facility, a staff member can scan them for a microchip. Here’s how the scanning and recovery process works: When scanned, the microchip transmits an identification number to the scanning device. The staff member then enters that number into a website to find the registry information, and you will be notified.
When to Microchip Your Pet
Dog microchipping or cat microchipping can be done as early as 12 weeks of age. The chip can be implanted during the wellness exam or during any visit. It can also be done while your pet is under anesthesia for surgery, a dental cleaning, or any other procedure. Although dogs and cats are the pets that are most commonly microchipped, some exotic pets can be chipped as well, including rabbits, ferrets, and birds. If you’re interested in having your exotic pet microchipped, let us know.
