It’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare – you arrive home expecting to see your pet’s sweet face, but when you open the door, your pet isn’t there. A look around reveals the back door has been left open accidentally, and your furry friend has taken the opportunity to get out and explore.

Hopefully, your pet is wearing a collar with ID tags, but even those can become lost or damaged. That’s why pet microchipping is so important. Let’s take a moment to learn more about how this simple procedure can help you and your pet avoid a tragic situation.

State of Affairs

According to the American Humane Association, 1 in 3 pets will go missing at some point in their lifetime. Of these lost pets, only 30% of dogs and 5% of cats are ever reunited with their families. However, these numbers increase significantly if a pet has been microchipped.

Consider the following study of animal shelters:

  • 52% of microchipped dogs were reunited with their owners in comparison to 22% of dogs who were not microchipped.
  • 39% of microchipped cats were reunited with their owners in comparison to 2% of cats who were not microchipped.

How Microchips Work

Microchips are tiny electronic devices implanted just under your pet’s skin near the shoulder blades. When a microchip scanner is passed over the area, the microchip emits a tiny radio signal, which transmits a unique ID number to the scanner screen. The shelter or veterinary hospital can then call the microchip company, who then contacts you with the location of your pet.

A microchip isn’t a GPS tracking device nor does it contain any type of internal power source. The procedure is fairly easy and straightforward and is no more painful than a standard vaccination.

One Last Thing

There are several ways you can greatly improve the effectiveness of your pet’s microchip:

  • Register – Once your pet’s chip has been placed, you must register it with your current contact information. If your pet goes missing, you can’t be contacted unless you register the microchip.
  • Scan – During your pet’s next wellness exam, ask us to scan their chip to ensure it’s working properly.
  • Update – Contact the microchip company to update your contact information anytime you move or change your phone number.

Pet Microchipping

Pet microchipping is affordable, quick, relatively painless, and it could make all the difference in the situation of a lost pet. If you’re ready to learn more and take the next step, please contact the team at Sunrise Boulevard Animal Hospital.

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Posted in: Pet Health
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