Check the Chip Day – August 15, 2017

Aug 4, 2017 | Care & Wellness, Pet

By Dr. Leslie Carr

August 15, 2017 is National Check the Chip Day. This event has been created to focus on the importance of microchipping your pet and registering the microchip.

Microchips don’t replace a tag and collar, but they can make all the difference when it comes to getting your pet back. One in three family pets will get lost. Microchipped dogs are twice as likely to be returned to their owners. Microchipped cats are 20 times as likely to be returned. BUT only 6 out of 10 chips ever get registered.

A microchip is an electronic transponder about the size of a grain of rice. There is no battery; it is activated by radio waves from a scanner. The scanner will display a number that will be registered to your pet. It is injected under the skin between the shoulders with a hypodermic needle and can be done without anesthesia. A microchip is not a GPS tracking system.

Everyone thinks “It can’t happen to me”, but it can. Thousands of pets were separated from their owners when hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana. Workmen and teenagers leave doors open. I once owned a dog that could open windows and leave the house whenever she wanted. We found her one time eating out of the dumpster at Roy Rogers! No one ever plans on losing their pet, but accidents do happen.   Just getting your pet microchipped isn’t enough though. You need to register the chip with correct contact information and you need to update the information when it changes.

If your pet is already microchipped, don’t forget to check if your information is correct. If your pet is not yet microchipped, call us today for an appointment at 410-544-1130.

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