Microchipping

Your pet’s safety is important to us. Though we never want to think about our beloved furry family member getting lost, it’s vital to have a plan of action in case they do. We want as few lost pets in shelters and as many returned back to their owners. That’s where permanent identification, like microchipping comes in! We highly recommend microchipping your pet (if you haven’t already).

How is a microchip inserted in pets?

Microchips are small high-tech devices that help recover your pet if they get lost. It’s injected into your pet’s loose skin (often between their shoulder blades). It’s about the size of a rice grain, so your pet is unlikely to experience any pain or discomfort when it’s inserted. The sensation of getting it implanted is similar to the feeling of a vaccination.

Will microchips track my pet if they get lost?

Microchips aren’t like a GPS tracking device. They use high-frequency radio waves to transmit signals when a handheld device passes over the area it was implanted. If your furry friend is lost and returned to a veterinary or animal shelter, they will be able to detect the chip. The chip’s unique identifier is sent to the device, which provides your contact information via a pet recovery database. It’s important to keep this information up-to-date, especially after you’ve relocated, to ensure your pet can be returned to the correct address. In addition to microchips, we also recommend other forms of pet identification like tags or collars with your contact information. The more identification your pet has, the merrier we will all be.

Will the battery in the microchip ever need to be replaced?

No batteries are required and it will never need to be replaced. Since microchips are a permanent identification method, there’s no additional upkeep that needs to happen after they are inserted. Once your pet has one implanted, it lasts their entire lifetime. Schedule your pet’s microchipping appointment at 604-544-7387.