Losing your pet can be a traumatizing experience. Unfortunately, thousands of pets go missing every year, and many never make it back home. According to the American Humane Association, only 15% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats get reunited with their owners. To help your animal companion find their way back if they were to stray from home in Memphis, Tennessee, we recommend that you get them microchipped.
Every conscientious pet owner knows that their pet needs a reliable form of identification. Although a collar and ID tag can be useful, collars can break off, and tags can get damaged and become unreadable. But, a microchip, about the size and shape of a grain of rice, can remain underneath your pet's skin as long as your pet lives. That means you’ll never have to worry about losing your animal companion.
The procedure of getting a microchip implanted in your pet is fast and harmless. Each microchip is unique and has crucial information specific to your pet. This includes your name, contact info, and address. When a pet is fitted with a microchip, the pet owner must register the microchip.
Upon registration, the number on the microchip enrolls your pet in a national pet recovery database. Animal control offices, animal shelters, and veterinary hospitals across the country all have special electronic scanners that detect the microchip and read the identification number. If a lost pet is found by a good samaritan and presented to animal control or a veterinarian, a quick scan of the microchip will reveal the identification number. A toll-free phone call to the pet recovery database alerts the microchip company that a lost pet has been identified. The pet owner can then be contacted and reunited with his or her pet!
Want to learn more about pet microchipping? Take a look at some of the frequently asked questions below:
How is a pet microchip installed?
Implanting a microchip is super easy. Using a hypodermic needle, our vets at Memphis Animal Clinic will insert the microchip under your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. The process is similar to vaccination and only takes less than a minute.
Microchipping can be performed on cats, dogs, ferrets, and many other types of pets. Even better, the procedure is painless and is commonly done at the same time an animal is spayed or neutered.
How much does microchipping cost?
Getting a microchip implanted in your pet is not expensive, even with the accompanying registration fees. For a nominal fee, you gain peace of mind knowing that you can be reunited with your pet if lost! Contact our offices at Memphis Animal Clinic for a specific quote.
Are pet microchips safe?
During the implantation process, complications are extremely rare. In fact, the benefits of pet microchipping far outweigh the small risk of possible complications. Our veterinarians are experienced in injecting RFID microchips into pets and strongly recommend the procedure for all pets.
How long will the microchip last?
A microchip capsule is made of a strong biocompatible glass that won’t cause any allergic reaction when implanted under your pet’s skin. Void of any complications, a microchip can last the entire life of your pet.
If your pet isn’t microchipped, it’s high time you get that done. Let Memphis Animal Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, help you increase the chances of reuniting with your pet the next time he goes missing.
