While no one expects their pet to become lost, the reality is pets sometimes do wander away from home. At St. Francis Animal Hospital, we recommend that all our patients be microchipped and we can implant a chip at any time, since it is a quick and painless procedure.
Even if your pet has a tattoo for identification or wears a collar all the time, microchipping is still recommended. A tattoo can be difficult to read over time and collars can easily slip off. A microchip is a permanent method of identification.
A microchip is tiny, about the size of a grain of rice, and has a unique number. The microchip is implanted in your pet just beneath the skin between the shoulder blades at the back of your pet’s neck. The unique number is registered with an international database and is associated with you, the pet owner. The registry stores information such as your name and contact information, along with information about your pet (e.g. breed, coat color, sex). The microchip is read with a small hand-held scanner that allows this information to be retrieved and immediately traces your pet back to you. Microchips greatly improve the chance of being reunited with your pet if he or she does happen to wander away from you.
