Q: What is a pet microchip?
A: Basically, it’s made out of the same non-inflammatory, non-irritating glass material that the FDA approves for prosthetic eyes. It’s about the size of a grain of rice. Your vet injects it midline between the shoulder blades, and dogs don’t react any more than when they are getting vaccinated.
Q: What’s the benefit of microchips over collar tags, photos or descriptions of dogs in ads or posters?
A: Every dog that is microchipped gets a unique ID number. When a dog is found by Animal Control or by a veterinarian with a scanner, they can read the chip ID and contact you. There is no confusion about color, size, or the dog’s identity. Try to describe a lost Dalmation or even a black Lab to a shelter. Also, found dogs are often thinner than their owner’s description. With a microchip, there’s no mistaking it’s your dog.
Q: How many pets are lost in the United States every year?
A: Every year in the USA, about 10 million pets will go missing. One in four pets will get lost in their lifetime.
Q: Does it hurt a dog to have the microchip inserted?
A: The microchip is very easy to insert. The needle looks big, but animals don’t react any more than when they are getting a vaccination. You shouldn’t get any reaction to the injection unless the site wasn’t properly cleaned.
Q: Once my dog is microchipped, what do I need to do?
A: You have to register to be on the database. Of the 10 million Home Again microchips, only half of those were ever registered on a database. Just giving your pet a microchip doesn’t do anything if you don’t register. There is no way of connecting you with that animal.
