My Friendly Pets

One of the most devastating experiences can be to lose the dog you love and spend days and nights, looking, crying and hoping to find your lost pooch. In the United States, fewer that 1 in 4 pets ever get back home after being lost. One of the ways that serves to increase the chances that your dog will be found and returned if lost or stolen is to have the dog microchipped. Only 3% -5% of dogs are microchipped here in the U.S. However, in the United Kingdom where 25% of the dogs are microchipped, 47% of the dogs that go missing are returned to their owners. That is a significant difference and one that can be attributed to the microchip.

The microchip is a tiny radio frequency device in a little glass cylinder that is inserted by a veterinarian just under the skin of the dog. The chip has an identification number on it which can be linked to the microchip manufacturer’s database where the dog owner’s name and contact information is stored. When the dog is taken to a vet or a shelter, the personnel there can scan the dog for the chip, call the manufacturer with the id number and then contact the owners of the dog. Microchips do not have gps capacity nor are they battery operated. They are expected to last 25 years, in most cases longer than the life span of most dogs.

Inserting the microchip is no more painful to the dog than an injection and because the material that surrounds the dog is biocompatible, there is no risk of infection or allergic reaction.

For those worried about their dog getting lost and the ability to get the dog back, the microchip provides both security for your dog and peace of mind for you. If you don’t know much about the microchip, speak to your vet for more information.