Your Pet and Microchips

May is Chip Your Pet Month! If you haven’t had your animal companion chipped yet, we recommend doing this ASAP. Microchipping your pet will only take a few minutes, and is extremely important! If your furry best friend ever goes missing and ends up in a shelter, that microchip could make a world of difference. These tiny devices contain information that can link people to their missing pets. This often results in lost pets being returned to worried humans. A Norwalk, CA vet discusses microchips—and why they are so crucial—in this article.

Although most people associate chips with dogs and cats, other pets can be microchipped as well. Microchips aren’t transmitters, and they don’t incorporate GPS technology. (You can get Fluffy or Fido a GPS equipped collar if you like, but this doesn’t negate the need for a microchip.) Currently, each chip contains only a unique ID number. These can be read with special scanners, which animal shelters use when admitting pets. This greatly increases the chances of lost pets coming home. In fact, one dog was recently returned to his humans after being missing for four years!

Microchipping can be worked into any veterinary appointment, though it is often done along with spay/neuter surgery. Your vet will use a hypodermic needle to inject the chip beneath your pet’s skin, generally between the shoulder blades. Complications are extremely rare, and there is no recovery time needed. Ask your vet for more information.

Getting your pet chipped is really just the first part of the process. You’ll also need to fill out your records in the chip manufacturer’s database. This is very important! The chip won’t work if your contact information is missing or outdated. Remember to update this information if you move or change your phone number.

Microchips don’t need to be maintained. However, we do recommend having your vet check the chip during your pet’s appointments. This is just to make sure it hasn’t slipped or malfunctioned. You’ll also want to check your records periodically. One way to do this is by using the AAHA Pet Microchip Lookup Tool, which can be found here .

Do you need to get your pet microchipped? Call us today! As your Norwalk, CA vet clinic, we are happy to serve all of your pet’s veterinary care needs.