Why You Should Microchip Your Pet?

While May is celebrated as ‘Chip Your Pet’ month, we know this is an important issue year-round. We thought it is a great time to highlight why you should microchip their pet. According to the American Humane Association, it is estimated that over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen within the country every year. Less than 23% of them are reunited with their owners.

One of the major reasons behind this is the failure to identify and contact the owner of the lost animal. Microchipping can help avoid such a dilemma as well as grant a number of other benefits. Continue reading to learn more on the importance of microchipping.

What are Microchips?

Microchips are tiny electronic tags encoded with your vital contact details using a unique identification number. They are completely harmless to your pet and are no bigger than a grain of rice. A vet will insert them just underneath your pet’s skin using a syringe and doesn’t require anesthesia for the purchase, similar to how a routine vaccination is performed. The information contained can be directly read using a handheld scanner.

Benefits

Most Reliable Form of Identification

Collars and name tags are not very reliable. They can break apart, fall off, get removed or the information on them could wear away with time. Comparatively, microchips are a much more secure option. They are permanent, will last a lifetime, cannot be separated from your pet, and are not easy to break.
Still, it can be a best practice to have both have a microchip and a collar. The former for identification reasons and the latter to remind unaware people that the animal isn’t stray.

Clear Proof of Ownership

An inserted microchip provides clear proof of ownership that the pet is indeed yours. A fake collar can be forged and people can be convinced to lie but once the scanner reveals the info on the microchip, it leaves little room for any dispute.

Increases Likelihood of Return

An inserted microchip can considerably increase the chances of your pet being returned should it get lost or stolen. Several studies corroborate this claim. Chipped dogs are 2.5 times more likely to be returned home compared to unchipped ones. For chipped cats, the difference is even larger at 20 times more likely. Any authority, shelter, or humane society that finds your pet can scan them and access your contact details.

Tates Creek Animal Hospital is a full-service veterinary clinic in Lexington, KY. In operation since 1988, we constantly strive to go and above beyond in pet care. To schedule an appointment or for any questions, feel free to call us at 859-273-1933.