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Why you should microchip your pet

Summer time, warmer weather and having pets outdoors more often could lead to escapes from the yard. Microchips are permanent identification that your pet can never lose! Thomas F. Dock, Veterinary Journalist and Practice Manager, Noah’s Animal Hospitals, explains:Microchips…

  1. The American Humane Association estimates over 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year. One in three pets will become lost at some point during their life.
  2. Microchips are a unique means of identification for pets. The rice-sized radio identification device provides a permanent and distinctive form of identification for dogs, cats and many other animals.
  3. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), “A study of more than 7,700 stray animals at animal shelters showed that dogs without microchips were returned to their owners 21.9% of the time, whereas microchipped dogs were returned to their owners 52.2% of the time. Cats without microchips were reunited with their owners only 1.8% of the time, whereas microchipped cats went back home 38.5% of the time.”
  4. In the United Kingdom, where microchipping is now mandatory, the return rates are significantly higher.
  5. Unlike collars and tags that can be easily removed, microchips are implanted under the skin of the pet and can’t be lost.
  6. Microchips have aided in the return of pets to their original owners many years after being lost. In some cases, the pets were found hundreds or even more than 1,000 miles away from home!
  7. More than 58% of pets with microchips are not registered properly in an appropriate database. In many cases, owners might fail to update the database after a move, the adopting agency might fail to incorporate the new owner’s information or information is entered incorrectly.
  8. Other forms of id = tags/collars, tattoos, brands, GPS tracking devices. All of these have significantly greater potential issues than microchips.
  9. Potential side effects/adverse reactions: No significant issues, extremely rare and unsubstantiated reports of cancer development.
  10. No identification system is 100% fool proof, but when microchips are implanted correctly, registered correctly and the database is kept up to date, they significantly increase the odds of getting your pet home to you!

To learn more, visit www.noahshospitals.com.