Most people consider their pets part of the family. They do their best to provide a good life for them, feed them well, take them to the vet, all the things good pet owners are supposed to do. They may even buy cute ID tags to hang on their collars. But what happens when the dog or cat slips out of the house or yard unnoticed? Or someone steals your expensive purebred pet?
Collars and tags can be removed, but a Microchip is permanent! Suburban Animal Clinic recommends that all dogs and cats, as well as other pets, be microchipped.
A microchip is small, about the size of a grain of rice, that has its own unique identification number. The microchip is implanted via injection just under the skin, typically between the shoulder blades, and can be done if the patient is awake or under anesthesia. Properly implanted, the chip rarely migrates and will not come out. Microchips are read with a special scanner that picks up the number on the chip. All shelters and humane societies, and most veterinary clinics, have microchip scanners. A pet can be scanned for a chip, and the scanner will show the chip number. The microchip number is called into the company to retrieve the pet owner’s information.
Consider the following statistics:
- The American Humane Association estimates over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the
· 1 in 3 pets will become lost at some point during their life.
· *22% of lost dogs that entered the animal shelters were reunited with their families. The return-to-owner rate for microchipped dogs was over 52% (a 238% increase).
· *Less than 2% of lost cats that entered the animal shelters were reunited with their families. The return-to-owner rate for microchipped cats was over 38 % (more than 2000% better).
*According to a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association which included 53 animal shelters across the
With those kinds of statistics, why not microchip?! You never know what might happen to separate you from your beloved pet. You may be involved in a car accident with your dog or cat in the car with you. Your house may be broken into. You may not notice the screen on your open window is broken. The mail carrier may leave the gate open. Anything can happen. When it does, rest assured that a microchip will increase your chances of being reunited with your pet. Suburban Animal Clinic has helped reunite several pets with their owners due to the pet being microchipped.
One important thing to mention, now that you plan to microchip your pet (or in case you’re ahead of the game and your dog or cat is already chipped): Make sure to keep your microchip registration current! A microchip is only good if your registration and information are kept up to date. Only 58% of the microchipped animals’ microchips have been registered in a database with the owner’s correct contact information. If you move or change your phone number, please be sure you change your information with the microchip company. This may require a small fee, but it’s worth it to better your chances of being reunited with your pet.
There are several companies with microchips available, and all have different requirements for registration, some which include annual fees. Suburban Animal Clinic recommends and uses the AVID brand microchip. The AVID chip requires only a one time registration fee which Suburban covers as part of the cost of the microchip. The AVID chip is also compatible with the microchip standards required for travel to several foreign countries, whereas other chips are not.
For more information, FAQ’s, Truths and Myths, and Success Stories, visit:
http://www.healthypet.com/FindAPet/MicrochipArticle.aspx?title=Microchipping
Suburban Animal Clinic is currently offering microchipping for $44-this is a $10 savings off our normal fee! This includes the cost of the chip, implanting the chip, and the lifetime registration fee. Call today to take advantage of this special before it ends April 30th!