Pet owners can attest that losing their beloved companion can be very heart breaking. Pets get lost, they wander off during walks and are not able to trace their way back to you while some slip out of the gate never to be seen again.
A microchip is a small device, the size of a grain of rice which is inserted under the pet’s skin for identification purposes. The chip usually has a unique identification number that is linked to your contact so that in case your pet gets lost, you can easily be reunited with it.
The chip serves better than collars and tags because those can slip off or be removed but a microchip is a permanent form of identification that can easily be scanned. When the pet gets lost, an animal shelter or even a veterinarian scans the microchip to retrieve the contact information and reach out to you. Most chips are not GPS trackers, you will not be able to track your pet’s GPS location.
If you want a GPS-enabled tracker, a tag or a collar would be ideal. However, they require cell service and a battery that needs to be charged.
Micro-chipping is a simple and almost painless procedure that can be done during your routine visit to the pet. The chip is implanted under the pet’s skin preferably between the shoulder blades. After the insertion, the microchip does not require any maintenance or after-care. You only need to make sure you keep your contact information updated. If you change your phone number or move places be sure to update the microchip information registry.
You cannot tell if a pet is micro-chipped by just looking at it or touching the area around the shoulder blades because as the name suggests, the chip is very small. You will need to have the pet scanned to know if it is micro-chipped. However, some owners indicate on the tag the pet’s microchip number.
The microchip is not a replacement for the collar or the tag. Keep the two as they are easily accessible and visible to anyone who comes across your lost pet.
A pet’s microchip cost is a small price to pay for peace of mind in case your pet is lost without its collar and tags.
