LOST DOG FOUND! Thanks, Microchip!
Hooray! Hooray! Springtime is here with summer fast approaching. This is a time for all of us to get outside and enjoy all the fun, and recreational activities, and hopefully a vacation. This is true for our pets as well. They go for more walks, may go camping with you. They may even travel on vacation with the family. We also tend to open our doors more or may have a window propped open to let the cool breezes flow. Wow, makes me want to go out and walk my dog.
However, all this means there is an increased possibility that your pet may escape your watch and become lost. What would you do it this happened? You would probably scan the neighborhood or dispatch search parties. You might create posters with photos and place them around the area or take to veterinary offices. You might even call veterinary practices and contact shelters. Proper identification is a must to help ensure a speedy and safe return of your pet (cat or dog) to your family. There are over 10 million pets lost every year, and the number one cause of pet death is getting lost. Without proper ID some 90 percent of pets won’t return home. One of the best forms of ID are microchips. With a microchip in place, one phone call can set all of these things in motion.
Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted just under the skin of your dog, cat, or other pet (usually in the area between the shoulder blades). They are a passive device meaning that there is no power source within the chip. They contain sort of a bar code that when the reader/scanner is placed over the pet it will read out a unique alpha-numeric number that is your pet’s ID. When the procedure is done, you will register your pet with your contact information into a computer data base for recovery when, and if, needed. As part of the registration, 24/7 emergency medical care, lost pet medical insurance, ID cards, and travel assistance for found pets may be offered.
Microchipping saves lives and greatly increases the likelihood that your pet will be returned home. It is easily done at your veterinarian’s office. Many shelters will microchip pets before they are adopted to their new owners. Collars are great but can fall off, or may not be present, especially with cats. Tags also help, but can fall off as well or wear out to be unreadable. Tattoos are sometimes very hard to read as well as recover information from them. So, as said in the Boy Scout Motto, BE PREPARED! Have your pet microchipped, and help to make sure your pet is returned to your family safe, sound, and happy.
Photo Credits: Feature image from flickr by idleformat.
This is such an important topic. My dog, Shay, actually ran off the other day because the front door was left cracked open. Luckily, a neighbor brought her to the humane society. I knew that was the first place to call. The bad thing is, she didn”t have her collar on, which has her name/address/phone. I also have not gotten her microchipped. Boy, do I sound irresponsible. After reading this article, I am going to schedule an appointment to get both of my dogs chipped. I didn”t realize it was so small and easy. Do you have an opening? 🙂 Thanks again, Dr. Van Horn.
Fantastic info here, Dr. Van Horn. I cannot imagine how horrible it would be to lose a pet! So glad for microchips. And I noted the Boy Scout mention. 🙂
Microchips are so very important to ID your dog – along wih their collar and tag. As Dr. Van Horn says – collars and tags can fall off. Tatoos are good – but not many people do that to their dogs. Luckily enough the registry of the greyhounds is so good that we do have tracing of them through tatoos. I have often been able to get dogs placed back in their home due to the ear tatoos – when collars and tags are missing and the “finder” of the dog does not have the ability to scan the chip. Any and all kinds of ID are good – as you want to do whatever you can to get your dog back should it become lost.
Is it possible to chip birds?
Yet, microchips have been linked to tumors at the chip site. Perhaps tattoos aren””t such a bad idea. You can microchip most any animal, including birds and reptiles.
RT @sergeantspet: Does your pet have a #microchip? Here’s why your #pet should… http://t.co/U6aFg3J9 #PHCBlogs #animals #dog #cat
oes your dog have a microlchip because i have something to scane it
All my pets are chipped but I have learned that not all rescues or vets scan new animals they see. That could mean a lost pet with a microchip can be found and taken in by a well meaning person who takes it to the vet for regular care. If that vet does not scan it (as a new animal to the person or their practice) the family of the pet may still be looking for it – or have given up hope when they shouldn’t have. There should be a requirement for scanning any new animal to a shelter, rescue or vet – just in case!
Great article! I am always amazed when I see friend’s dogs who have no tags on them. Both of my dogs are microchipped and wear ID tags on their collars. I would be devastated if I ever lost either one of them.