Should You Microchip Your Pet?
No one plans to lose a pet, but, unfortunately, pets go missing all the time. It’s estimated that 10 million pets are lost each year, and most lost pets are sadly never reunited with their families. At Pacific Animal Hospital, we strongly encourage all pet owners to have their dogs and cats microchipped to significantly increase the chances that they will be reunited with their pets should they go missing.
What Is a Pet Microchip?
A pet microchip is comprised of a small RFID microchip (about the size of a grain of rice) that is encased in a biocompatible capsule.
How Do Microchips Work?
Pet microchips are inserted into a pet between his or her shoulder blades, using a hollow needle. This process is quick and mostly painless. Your pet might feel a slight pinching sensation like getting a vaccination, but no anesthetics are necessary when inserting a microchip.
The microchip contains a unique, identifying number that can be read when scanned with an appropriate microchip scanning device. When scanned, the device will read the microchip’s number. If a pet is lost and turned into a veterinary clinic or an animal shelter, the pet will be scanned for a microchip. The number can then be located in a national database where the pet owner’s contact information is stored.
Are Microchips Really Effectively?
Yes! Pet microchips very effectively increase the chances of being reunited with a lost pet.
A study including more than 7,700 stray animals that were turned into animal shelters showed a significant improvement in reuniting dogs and cats with their families. In the study, 52.2% of dogs with microchips were reunited compared to only 21.9% of dogs without microchips. Cats with microchips were reunited 38.5% of the time compared to just 1.8% of cats without microchips.
It’s important to remember, though, that your pet’s microchip can only be effective if you keep your contact information up-to-date in the microchip database. If your pet is found and scanned, but your contact information isn’t listed alongside your pet’s identification number, then there still won’t be any way to find you.
Pet Microchipping in Redondo Beach
While we still recommend fitting your pet with a collar and ID tags, we also encourage you to have your pet microchipped for their safety and your peace of mind. To learn more about pet microchipping or to schedule an appointment to get your pet a microchip, we welcome you to contact Pacific Animal Hospital today.
