5 Reasons You Should Microchip Your Pet

By Sondra Forsyth

A microchip is an electronic way to identify a pet. It is the size of a grain of rice and is inserted underneath the skin, usually between your pet’s shoulder blades. It contains a code that connects your dog to your personal details.

If your pet is ever found and taken to a vet or animal charity, they can use a scanner to check whether your pet has a microchip. If found, they can easily trace your details to make sure your pet gets back to you safe and sound.

It is not currently a legal requirement to microchip your pet in all countries, so I want to share with you all the reasons why you should get your pet coded. After all, you want the best chance to be reunited with him or her if something does go wrong, right?

1. Identification

Obviously, the microchip acts as identification for your pet. This is so important if you want to make sure that they can be easily found and brought back to you.

To ensure that it is accurate, you must make sure that you keep the details of the keeper up to date. If you do not and your pet gets lost, it will not be so easy for others to get him or her back to you. You should notify the microchip database when you move and when there’s a new keeper.

Although the microchip does act as an incredible form of identification, it’s important to note that it does not use GPS and can therefore not track the location of your pet.

According to the AVMA, it is currently voluntary to microchip your pet in the US. However, it is a legal requirement in the UK. It costs very little for a lifetime of identification for your pet, so whether it is legal in your home country or not, it is worth it.

2. They can be reunited with you even if their collar and tag are missing

There are a number of reasons why your pet may not be wearing his or her collar and tag.

These include:

• Your pet’s collar has become worn and therefore has fallen off or broken
• Your pet could get it caught in something, causing the collar to break
• You’ve recently washed your dog and have yet to put his collar back on
• Someone else removed it

These may seem obvious but try to consider that dogs, in particular, can be stolen. If a pup is stolen, it is unlikely that the abductor would want to keep your dog’s collar on. However, the abductor would not be able to change the details on your dog’s microchip. If someone else were to find your dog in this situation, he or she could be brought back to you.

Dogs and cats can become lost. Whether this is a simple accident of leaving a door open or your dog or cat bolting off in the park, it is still scary when you cannot find your furbaby anywhere. A microchip can give you some hope that, if found, he or she can come home to you soon.

Remember that even if your pet has been microchipped, you still must ensure that your pet is wearing a collar and tag.

3. Microchips avoid your pet being rehomed

Although we often think of rescue dogs as those who have been abandoned and not been given a good life, this is not always the case.

If your dog gets lost and nobody can find a way to reroute him to you, your dog has to go somewhere. According to Blue Cross, after seven days your dog can be passed onto a rehoming charity. Without identification, your dog risks being rehomed to another family.

Obviously, it would be heart-breaking for you to lose your pup all because they could not be identified. Make sure you get them microchipped so that they do not end up with the wrong family.

From the point of view of dog borrowers, they feel more at ease if they know a dog has been microchipped. The thought of losing your own dog by mistake is terrorizing, but the thought of losing another person’s pooch by accident would be a massive weight to hold. Sometimes things can go wrong. A microchip provides security for both the owners of a pooch and anyone else who looks after him or her.

4. The procedure will not take long

If you are particularly worried that having a microchip inserted under your pet’s skin will cause them too much pain, try not to worry too much!

The microchip is a fairly quick procedure, completed with a needle. Your pet will not need to be pinned down or forced. In fact, no anesthetic is required according and some dogs do not even realize that the process has been done. Remember that those who are qualified to insert a microchip may have a different way of completing the procedure than others do.

Watch a dog being microchipped: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo-Ft84bf84 

If you ask me, a procedure that only takes a few minutes is worth it for the length of time that it lasts. The microchip can be effective for over 20 years, which is a great reward for such a small amount of pain.

As with anything, there can be drawbacks. There’s a slight chance that the microchip can become lost, which means that it can be difficult to locate when scanned.

5. The microchip could save your pet’s life

If your pet is on medication that he or she needs to stay happy on a day-to-day basis, wouldn’t you rather live in the comfort that your pet will be able to be treated each day?

If your pet goes missing and does not have a microchip, it can be much harder for your pet to be brought back to you. If he or she has a long medical history and needs consistent care and medication, someone else who finds him or her will not necessarily know what he or she needs and why.

The sooner your pet is found and is reunited with you, the sooner he or she can be on the way to recovering from any trauma or missed medication.

The AVMA has also stated that some registration databases allow you to store medical information that can be checked by a vet. This is only for reference though and not all databases allow you to do this.

A microchip could save your pet’s life. So why take the risk?

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