Trained Dogs Rock
It is the wish of everyone who owns a pet to care and protect his/her adored pet. A pet owner does everything within his/her power to ensure his/her pet stays healthy. So many people ignore the importance of having an identity tag on their indoor pets. Believe me, it is very important. Your cat could mistakenly walk out at night and without a tag on your search could be in vain.
It is important to have a collar tag on your pet even though it could still get lost. Considering the fact that several animal shelters only harbors cats and dogs for the period of seven days, you would want to ensure that you properly tag your pets for easy identification. This is where a microchip becomes important.
What is a Microchip?
The microchip is a trendy technology that enables lost pets to be identified and it also makes it possible for a lost pet to trace his/her way back to the house.
Due to the popularity of the microchip, it is now possible and easier for animal shelters and vets to scan a lost dog or cat for microchip identification. So many people tend to opt out for the microchip because they think or feel that it is painful or harmful to their pet. No, trust me this procedure is totally painless and harmless to your pet. This procedure only entails your vet inserting a very tiny microchip that is almost same size with a grain of rice under the skin of your pet with the aid of a hypodermic needle.
Usually this is placed behind your pet’s neck. Every microchip has a unique number that has been saved on a national database for easy identification. The microchip holds your information, and such information can be used by an animal shelter or veterinarian after scanning your pet with a special scanner.
The idea of this microchip is well accepted and loved by pet owners because it remains in the pet forever. There is no removing or losing of the microchip once inserted. The fact that a microchip stays in forever makes it superb for cats. If a cat carries a collar or tag, there are great chances it would be a breakaway collar so that they can breakaway easily when they get caught up by a tree branch. When this happens, and your cat has no microchip, it would be so hard for any animal shelter to identify your cat when found.
What you must know about microchips
- Never relax and expect to get a call because your pet has a microchip when it gets lost. You never may know if the vet or animal shelter who found your pet has this technology. It is better you make some calls and place flyers of your lost pet within and outside your vicinity.
- You must ensure that you update your information when you move out of your current location. There is no need having a microchip on your pet when the information stored I the database is not valid. For information on how to update your contact information, you can visit your vet.
- It is necessary that your pet undergoes the implant during his early age. Puppies and kittens can have the microchip implanted when they are very young. Though as mentioned earlier, this is not a painful procedure. It in fact feels like the usual vaccination shot. Simply take your pet to your vet for it to be implanted with the chip. Most vet charge a fee of $30 or $50 for such service.
