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To Microchip or not - The Decision is Yours

submitted: May 8th 2008 | by: JohnBear | Total views: 9 | Word Count: 554 | |

Statistics show that thousands of pets are lost each year. Most of us never expect to lose our pet and when the unexpected happens, most owners are caught by surprise and unprepared and owners are heartbroken at the loss of their pets. Taking a simple preventative action can prevent this problem from happening.

Enter the microchips, tiny devices that have been particularly useful in the return of lost pets. This is a permanent radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip is implanted under the pet's skin. Implantation is done using a hypodermic needle. The identification number stored in this tiny transponder cannot be lost, altered and intentionally removed.

Veterinarians and most animal shelters can provide this service. If you opt to have a microchip inserted in your pet, the fee is $5 to $10 in most animal shelters, and about $50 at private veterinary clinics. The process is quick and painless as a microchip ID is a very small chip, it's just about the size of a grain of rice.

There are three companies that dominate the US market for pet microchips- AVID, HomeAgain and 24PetWatch The microchip manufacturer keep the chip numbers that you have purchased and all the necessary information in their databases to be able to traced you in the event that your pet gets lost.

A handheld electronic scanner can scan the microchip to retrieve the information. Small handheld scanners are held close to the implant site while scanning and they have a reading range of about 3 inches. Larger, more powerful scanners can be used for various commercial and research applications and they read ranges vary from 6 to 20 inches depending upon specifications.

Animal shelters and animal control officers have been educated and informed about microchip identification and how it functions. Shelters use industry-wide, cross-compatible scanners that read all chips operating at a certain frequency and once a microchip is located in an animal, the appropriate steps are then taken.

If you are living or traveling throughout Europe and other countries except China (it requires a 9-digit chip), a 15-digit microchip made according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards 11784 and 11785 is required when importing an animal, as a proof that the animal and the vaccination record belong together.

Though long-term research has been conducted and has shown that using microchips to track your pet is completely safe, there are still some owners who are against it. One issue reported that these microchips are the cause of Fibro Sarcomas in the animals that have been implanted.

However, a lot of pet owners are not bothered by this issue because of the advantages that microchipping offers. Injecting a microchip is just like any other injection or vaccination. Anesthesia is not even required or recommended. The AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association, 2007) goes on to state that "The chip is made out of an inert, biocompatible substance, which means it won't cause an allergic reaction in your furry friend, and it won't degenerate over time". When properly implanted, a small layer of connective tissue forms around the microchip thus actually preventing movement or migration of the chip.

Microchips provide an important extra level of protection for you and your pets in the event that your worst nightmare happens- your pet gets lost. But before you do anything drastic or something you might regret later, weigh your options first.

Tags: Pets, Pet, Microchip, Microchipped, Pet Microchip, Dog, Cat

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About the author: John Bear can assist you to find your perfect Pet Medications. Visit us now to get your Discount Pet Medictions and Pet Supplies Get your free online application for Pet Supplies Discounts

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