Each year, shelters take in thousands of homeless pets, many of whom never leave. Some of these pets are unwanted, others are sick, and others are lost pets who don’t have any identification. Losing your pet can be traumatic, but you can increase the chances of a reunion with a tiny microchip. Microchipping your pet permanently identifies them, so authorities can contact you if your pet is found. The Bartow Animal Clinic recommends all pets receive a microchip—here’s why.

What is a pet microchip?

A pet microchip is a small device that is implanted near their shoulder underneath the skin. The chip is made from inert material but contains RFID technology and emits a radiofrequency signal only when activated by a special scanner designed to read the chip’s information. Veterinarians recommend microchips because they are the only form of permanent identification for pets and they protect the pet owner’s privacy. Microchips are safe and have very few risks or downsides.

Pet microchip myths

Some people worry about microchips because they have heard myths that they track pets or cause pets harm. Here are the facts:

  • Microchips differ from GPS systems — A microchip does not actively emit signals and cannot be used to track pets like a GPS device. Nobody can hack your pet’s chip.
  • Microchips do not cause cancer — Some studies in mice and rats found tumors around their microchips, but these were mice and rats known to develop cancer and specifically chosen to study cancer. This effect has not been seen in pets.
  • Microchips have few side effects — Microchipping has minimal risk because the pet’s body is unlikely to recognize the material as foreign. An infection or reaction may develop at the microchip site and necessitate chip removal, but those cases are extremely rare.

Why you should microchip your pet

The main reason for microchipping your pet is to increase their chances of being returned if they get lost. We know that shelters are overrun with stray and unwanted pets, but microchipping is proven to reduce shelter populations and ensure pets get back to their loving homes. 

A study of stray dogs and cats in 53 shelters found that microchipped pets were significantly more likely to be reunited with their owners. The study also found:

  • The owners were located for 73% of microchipped pets.
  • Microchipped dogs were 2.4 times more likely to be returned than stray dogs overall.
  • Microchipped cats were 21.4 times more likely to be returned than stray cats overall.

Implanting a microchip

Your veterinarian can implant a microchip during an outpatient visit. The chips come pre-loaded in a specialized syringe and are injected through a large-bore needle into the space between your pet’s shoulder blades. The procedure is no more painful than a typical subcutaneous injection, so can be performed without sedation or anesthesia. Because puppies and kittens are wiggly, their owners often choose to wait until they are under anesthesia for their spay or neuter procedure and the veterinary team can place the chip more easily and accurately. 

Registering a microchip

After implantation, the microchip must be registered to the manufacturer’s database, or the chip will not provide information. To ensure your pet’s registration is completed, we include this process during the microchipping appointment. Your registration stores your name, phone number, and address in the database. 

When your pet’s registered chip is scanned at an animal hospital, police station, or animal shelter, the scanner shows the chip’s unique identification number. Then, the person scanning the chip can enter the number into a database that reveals the manufacturer and contact the manufacturer directly for your contact information.

How microchips and identification tags work together to return lost pets

Microchips do not replace your pet’s identification tags, because the average person cannot read a chip—they must take a found pet to a facility that has a scanner to be identified. If a neighbor or other good Samaritan finds a lost pet with a tag, they can simply call the pet owner and facilitate a reunion. We recommend that all pets wear a collar, identification tag, and rabies tag—which is also registered to a county database—whenever possible.

The last thing you want as a pet owner is to lose your beloved furry pal. Microchipping and wearing identification tags help ensure a happy reunion with your pet. Contact our Bartow Animal Clinic team to schedule a microchipping appointment, or if you have questions about microchipping’s benefits for your four-legged friend.