Losing valuable items is hard, but the loss of a favorite pet is way more devastating. Many stories of people searching for their lost pet by putting up posters and checking shelters have ended sadly. Implanting pets with a microchip can greatly help founders identify owners of animals who have strayed and bring them back to their families. For safe pet microchipping, visit the link given.
If you’ve never heard of microchips used in pets, they are a way to put permanent identification on your beloved animals. The chip is a very small glass bead, usually about the size of a grain of rice, which has identification and contact information embedded on it and is implanted under the skin. Each chip has a unique number that is detected using a microchip scanner, and the number is recorded on a database registry with details about the animal and its owner. Most veterinarians, animal shelters and animal hospitals have the equipment to implant and scan the microchip when needed.
The primary purpose of having microchips implanted in pets is so that when they stray or become lost, animal shelters and veterinarians can scan them for a microchip and be able to contact you through the information they found via the database. A microchip contains specific information such as the name and description of the animal, the owner’s contact information and address, and the veterinarian and/or shelter contact information responsible for implanting the chip.
Microchipping pets have become a common practice in the US and Canada, but it is being adopted in other countries. Because of that, countries who adopt microchipping typically follow international standards for both chips and scanners.
There are different types of microchips but most contain three components such as the integrated circuit, the capacitor and a coil inductor. All of these are encased and sealed for safety reasons. It doesn’t need an internal power source because it is passive. The chip only activates when scanned.
One-time implantation is good for the entire lifetime of the pet. It will hurt just a little bit for your pet, but if you want to ease them of the pain, you can ask for anaesthesia, but most veterinarians would say it is not necessary. It’s also cheap – it usually costs less than $50. In most cases, microchipping is a safe procedure that hardly takes a few seconds.
It is important to keep your contact details updated on the database every time you move or change phone numbers so that you can be reached in the event of your pet straying or becoming lost.
Microchips are a better proof of ownership than ID tags because it doesn’t fall off, worn out, or be removed by thieves wanting to kidnap your pet. We all know that pets can be stolen. While it doesn’t help them be detected once they are out of sight, once you have found them and you need to prove they’re yours, the microchip will save you and your pet. There are a lot of instances wherein the owners of pets abducted had a tough time proving their ownership, and it pays off to have a guarantee.
These chips can also save the lives of your pets. In case of a natural disaster, your pet can be returned to you more easily if they have a microchip. If your pet has been lost and became sickly, a concerned citizen might take it to the vet or a shelter. Without a chip and if their collar ID is lost, shelter employees cannot identify if your pet has an owner, and if it is severely sick, there might be a possibility that it would be euthanized. If it has implanted a microchip, they can perform a scan on your pet, get vital information and contact you to inform your pet needs treatment.
With a microchip installed inside your pet, you tend to give your pet the freedom it requires. Most pet owners become highly protective of their pets and don’t allow them to play or walk freely. You can let it have fun with other pets in the park or take it on vacations with you without any fear.
Since microchip requires the complete date of the pet breed, it helps it distinguishes between safe and troublesome pets. In countries with microchipping is compulsory, there are thorough identification and tracking of animals, especially for the ones that are dangerous to people around.
Conclusion
Pets can go missing easily, so consider microchipping them to ensure it can be reunited with you if the inevitable event happens. Visit your veterinarian or the nearest animal shelter for further information. While not all that are lost can be found, lost pets with microchips increase the odds of safe return.