Understanding Your Pet’s Microchip

If you’ve recently adopted a pet, you might not be entirely familiar with microchips. They’re the best way to keep your animal friend properly identified for a lifetime! Learn more here as your Burlington, ON veterinarian goes over the basics.

A microchip is a very small computer chip that has an identification number implanted on it electronically. This number corresponds to the chip manufacturer’s database, which holds your pet’s contact information. When a lost pet is returned to a vet’s office or animal shelter, special scanners there can read the number, allowing the pet’s owners to be contacted.

One major benefit of a microchip is that your pet can’t remove it, on purpose or by accident, the way ID tags on the collar might be chewed away or ripped off. This way, your pet stays constantly identified and will remain so even if they escape unexpectedly. Many pet owners even use a microchip and ID tags in tandem!

A second advantage of using a microchip is that it’s extremely cost-effective. You only have to purchase one, and it will remain your pet’s microchip for life. Even if you get a new phone number or home address, you can simply contact the chip manufacturer to have your information updated in the database. Your pet keeps the same chip the entire time!

The microchip itself is housed in a small glass capsule, which is then inserted under your pet’s first few layers of skin with a specialized hypodermic needle device. Scar tissue develops around the injection site to keep the microchip in place. The whole process only takes a few minutes, and all your pet feels is a momentary pinch!

No, the microchip procedure is virtually risk-free and isn’t likely to cause your pet harm whatsoever. In some cases, minor irritation, redness, and swelling can occur around the injection site, but this will usually resolve on its own after a day or two. Tell your vet if you think your pet is reacting adversely to a microchip injection.

Are you ready to have your pet outfitted with a microchip? It’s a cost-effective way to keep your pet safe throughout his or her life. Call your Burlington, ON vet clinic today to set up an office appointment.