Microchipping
No one plans on losing their pet or having their pet stolen, but pets go missing all the time. In fact, more than 10 million pets are lost or stolen each year in the United States. To increase the odds that lost pets are returned to their rightful owners, veterinarians at Takoma Park Animal Clinic strongly encourage pet owners to have their pets microchipped.
What Are Pet Microchips?
A pet microchip is a form of permanent identification for pets. The microchip carries a unique number that can be read with a special radio frequency identification (RFID) scanner.
How Do Pet Microchips Work?
Pet owners register their contact information along with their pet’s ID number in a national database that animal shelters and veterinarians have access to. If a pet goes missing and is turned into a veterinary clinic or animal shelter, a representative will scan the pet for a microchip and locate the owner’s contact information in the database. The rightful owner will then be contacted and reunited with their missing pet.
Are Pet Microchips Better Than a Collar and ID Tags?
Although useful, collars and ID tags can easily fall off or get caught on a fence, bushes, or another object when a frightened/disoriented pet panics. Microchips cannot be lost, and they significantly increase the odds that lost pets will be reunited with their families.
A study of 7,700 stray animals found that:
- Only 21.9% of dogs without microchips were reunited with their families compared to 52.2% of microchipped dogs.
- Only 1.8% of cats without microchips were reunited with their families compared to 38.5% of microchipped cats.
Are Pet Microchips Safe?
Pet microchips are completely safe for pets and the process of having a pet microchipped is simple. About the size of a grain of rice, a pet microchip is housed in a bio-compatible capsule that a veterinarian places in between a pet’s shoulder blades using a hollow needle.
Similar to receiving a vaccination, no anesthesia is required for microchipping. A pet might experience a slight pinching sensation when the needle is inserted, but they don’t experience any lasting pain and won’t even feel the microchip.
Pet Microchipping in Takoma Park
Puppy, kitten, or fully grown, we strongly encourage you to have your pets microchipped. To learn more about pet microchipping or to schedule an appointment for your pet, we welcome you to contact Takoma Park Animal Clinic.
