A microchip is a small electronic device about the size of a grain of rice:
How does it work?
- The microchip is implanted into dogs and cats by injection, usually in the loose skin at the back of the neck at the level of the shoulders. This xray shows the chip as a small white mark by the shoulders:
- When the animal is scanned with a special microchip reader, the chip emits a 15-digit code which is unique to that chip. The chip is scanned before and after implantation, to ensure it is fully functional.
- Once the chip is implanted, we fill in a form, registering the chip number to the owner - the owner’s full name, address and contact phone numbers are recorded, plus a full record of the animal (name, species, breed, colour, age).
- This form is sent to a database, where the details are registered.
- After that there is nothing more that you need to do, unless your pet goes missing. If your pet is taken to a vets, dog warden or animal shelter, the first thing they will do is scan your pet to see if it is microchipped. If a chip is found, they will immediately contact the pet register (which is open 24 hour a day, 365 days a year), and you will be contacted.
- In addition, at Alfreton Park Veterinary Hospital, we record microchip details on your pet’s database, so if a stray is brought in to us, we can scan our records for the chip number, leading to you being swiftly reunited with your pet if it is registered with us.
Why should I have my pet microchipped? My dog wears a collar and lead, and never runs away. My cat is kept indoors.
This is an argument we’ve heard all too many times before, sadly often from people whose dogs have run off unexpectedly eg when frightened while out walking, having slipped their collar and lead, or from cat owners whose cat escaped on the way to the cattery or the vets, or through an open window, or whose cat has gone missing.
Why take the chance? At under £25, it is an extremely cheap but highly effective way of identifying your pet should it get separated from you. There is a thriving black market for some breeds of dog, typically such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and there are regular reports of these being stolen. Rescue centres are full of animals that aren’t necessarily unwanted, they are just lost!!
So, to summarise, microchipping is:
- To help return lost pets – vets, dog wardens and animal shelters routinely scan strays for microchips.
- To identify the pet if there is an ownership/identification dispute. The police are unlikely to be interested in helping to find stolen animals if they aren’t chipped.
- To comply with the PETS travel scheme (for taking pets abroad). This requires that your pet is microchipped before it is vaccinated against rabies. Tattoo identification is not sufficient for travel abroad.
Can any animal be microchipped?
Microchips can be implanted in dogs, cats, horses, birds, small mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs and even reptiles such as snakes, lizards and tortoises. Birds of prey are often chipped for identification purposes and to prove they are not owned illegally.
Does it hurt?
- It can be slightly uncomfortable briefly while the microchip is implanted, but once it has been implanted, the chip sits comfortably and painlessly in the tissues between the shoulders.
- One way round this is to have the microchip implanted while the animal is under anaesthetic, for example when a cat is being neutered.
How will I know if it is working? I’ve heard they sometimes stop working, or can move around.
When your pet comes to the Practice, we can easily scan them to ensure the microchip is still functional. It is very rare for the chip to stop working but if it cannot be found, another chip can be inserted which is again registered to the owner.
Chip migration was a small problem in the early days of microchips. Nowadays, they are built with anti-migration properties to reduce the chance of them moving. It is important after the chip is implanted not to fiddle with the area, or try to feel it – just allow the chip to settle into position, and there should be no problems with movement.
