Microchipping Your Pet

What would happen if your pet was lost?

    -Less than 2% of cats without identification are returned home

    -Only 15% to 20% of lost dogs without identification are returned home

    -Up to 12 million companion animals enter animal shelters each year

To help keep your pet safe and to assure they are identified, we recommend all pets have a permanent source of identification with a microchip.  Nixa Animal Hospital uses ResQ Microchips, a universal and international microchip, with free lifetime registration. 

Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted between the shoulder blades under the skin with a needle injection.  The injection takes about 5 seconds and can be done in the exam room during any routine veterinary visit.  The microchip contains a number read by scanner, the microchip number is then linked to all of your contact information.  Every veterinary clinic, animal control, shelter and pet rescue organizations have scanners to detect microchips and help get your pet back home to you. 

The cost of a microchip is $42 and includes lifetime registration and updates. 

For more information visit www.PetLink.net

More on Microchipping

Collars with pet identification are accessible to anyone who finds your lost pet.  But, tags can become hard to read, and collars can be broken or removed.  Microchipping your pet is a method of permanent identification.  Microchips cannot be easily misread, and the permanent identification number is tamperproof. The information about the pet and owner is usually readily retrievable.

A microchip is a very tiny transponder that is encoded with a unique identification number.  Before insertion, the sterile microchip is scanned in the package to confirm that the identification code of the transponder matches that shown on the label of the bar code on the package.

The procedure for microchipping your pet is similar to that of vaccinating.  Some of the loose skin between the shoulder blades is gently pulled up, and the application needle is quickly inserted.  The trigger is depressed, which injects the microchip into the tissues.  Once the chip is inserted, the pet is scanned to ensure that the chip is reading properly. The procedure is fast, safe, and generally painless, even in puppies and kittens.  Some owners choose to have the microchip inserted when the pet is spayed or neutered.

Once your pet has been microchipped, you must register it with the appropriate agency.  Your veterinarian will provide you with the relevant information and documents.  Be sure to keep your contact information updated.  If your pet is lost and recovered, this information can be used to reunite you with your pet.  Most, if not all, humane societies and animal shelters now have microchip readers, and all stray and injured animals are routinely scanned.

nah Q&A

What is a pet microchip?

A microchip is a very tiny electronic device that is encoded with an identification number unique to your pet.  Once implanted, the microchip provides a permanent form of identification that cannot be lost or easily removed.

How is this device implanted?

The microchip is inserted under the skin using a hollow needle, much like vaccination.  This procedure is relatively painless, but some owners choose to have it done when their animal is under anesthesia for a spay or neuter. 

What happens after the chip is implanted?

Your veterinarian will provide you with the information needed to register your pet with the appropriate agency.  Be sure to keep your contact information updated, because accurate information is needed to reunite you with your lost pet. 

What happens if my pet is lost?

Most, if not all, humane societies and animal shelters now have microchip readers, and these organizations routinely scan all stray and injured animals.  The ID number is then passed along to the appropriate agency, which arranges for your pet to be returned to you.

SOURCE: http://www.webvet.com/main/2008/08/12/microchipping-your-pet