If you are a pet owner, you have likely heard of microchips and may be wondering whether or not they are useful. In order to make an informed decision, you need to first understand the details, and a microchip is a small electronic chip that is roughly the size of a grain of rice. The chip itself is enclosed in a glass cylinder and does not have a battery, so it is activated by a scanner that is passed over the area, and the radio waves from that scanner are what activate the chip. The chip will transmit the identification number to the scanner, which will display that information on the screen.
Microchips are injected under the skin with a needle, and contrary to what most people think, it is not painful for the animal because it is similar to a typical injection, and no surgery or anesthesia is required. The microchip can be implanted during your pet’s routine veterinary office visit, so the process is quite simple, and there is no need to worry.
It’s natural to wonder whether or not there is a tracking device in the microchip, but it is not a GPS device, so the chip cannot be used to track your pet if it gets lost. These microchips only contain identification numbers, and while the chip itself does not contain your pet’s medical information, some microchip registration databases will allow you to store that information if you like. You will get to choose what information you provide to the manufacturer’s microchip registry, and this is the information that will be used to contact you if your pet is found and their microchip is scanned. If you’re concerned about privacy, you don’t have to be because you will be in control of the information you provide when you register the chip, and protection measures are in place, so a random person would not be able to lookup an owner’s identification.
In order for a microchip to be effective, it needs to be registered, so having it placed in your pet is the first step, and you need to register the chip to increase your chances of reuniting with your lost animal. You need to provide accurate information so that when your animal is found and taken to a shelter, they can quickly contact you and ensure your pet is returned to its owner. One of the first things they do at a shelter or veterinary clinic is scanned the animal for a microchip, and if one is present, they will use that information to contact the owner and return their pet, and this is the main reason why pet owners choose to use microchips.
If this is something you are interested in, Hofmann Veterinary Clinic can help. We will provide you with more details and will gladly answer all of your questions regarding this matter, so contact us today!
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