Microchips for Identification
Losing a pet can be devastating for the entire family. Collars with tags can be lost. Tatoos can become faded with time or go unnoticed at shelters. Microchips are becoming a popular way to provide permanent identification of pets. A microchip about the size of a grain of rice is injected into the tissues beneath the skin on the back of the neck between the shoulder blades. This chip contains a number which can be read by a scanner. Most veterinary hospitals, animal control bureaus, SPCA's and other organizations likely to receive stray animals routinely scan dogs and cats whose owners are unknown.
Once a chip is found, a national database can be accessed by phone to determine the registered owner of the pet. This system only works if the owner has in fact registered the chip number. uvma offers chip implantation and provides the paperwork necessary for the owner to register that chip. Microchips are an inexpensive and effective means of permanent pet indentification. A microchip can be implanted at any age in both dogs and cats.