When Is the Right Time to Microchip Your Pet?
Your pet's safety becomes a priority the instant your furry friend enters your home for the first time. No matter how thoroughly you pet-proof your home, your dog or cat could still wander off. It only takes an instant for a pet to slip through an open door or bolt from your home during a natural disaster. Microchipping provides a permanent form of identification, increasing the chances that your lost pet will be reunited with you.
Is My Pet Too Young or Old for Microchipping?
Puppies and kittens can be microchipped as early as 6 to 8 weeks old. Older animals can be microchipped at any age. It's easy to combine microchipping with other veterinary services and treatments, such as vaccinations or spaying/neutering. Although microchipping is most often done on dogs and cats, this permanent form of identification can be a good choice for many types of pets. Ferrets, rabbits, llamas, birds, horses, goats, turtles, snakes, and other animals can all be microchipped.
How Does Microchipping Work?
Your veterinarian uses a hypodermic needle to insert a rice-sized microchip under your pet's skin between the shoulder blades. Placement of the microchip only takes seconds, doesn't require anesthesia, and is no more painful than a vaccination. Your pet's tissues attach to the microchip after it's implanted, which helps the chip stay securely in place.
What Information Does the Microchip Contain?
The microchip doesn't include any personal information about you or your pet. Staff members at veterinary clinics and animal shelters only see a number when they pass the scanner over your pet's body. This unique number is linked to information that you register with a pet microchip database.
Microchips are useless without your current contact information. If you move or change your telephone number or email address, be sure to update this information with the registry.
What Are the Benefits of Microchipping?
Microchipping offers several advantages, including:
- No Worries About Lost Collars or Tags. Collars and tags can fall off, but microchips offer a long-lasting identification method. The chips last about 25 years, according to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Using a collar and tag is still important even if your pet is microchipped. Although veterinary offices and shelters have microchip scanners, Good Samaritans rely on the contact information provided on your pet's tag.
- Increased Chance for a Reunion. You're more likely to see your lost or stolen pet again if it has been microchipped. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 52% of lost, microchipped dogs taken to animal shelters were returned to their families, compared to only 22% of unchipped dogs. Only one in 50 unchipped cats were returned to their owners, but 40% of microchipped cats were reunited with their families.
- Proof of Ownership. If there's ever a dispute about the ownership of your pet, a microchip may support your ownership claim.
- Safer Traveling. Losing a pet during a vacation or cross-country move is incredibly stressful. If you don't live in the area where your pet was lost, it may be difficult to continue the search for your furry friend. Microchips make it possible to be reunited with your dog, cat, or other animal, even if you're far from home. Are you planning to take your pet abroad? Implanting an International Standards Organization (ISO) microchip offers global protection for your pet.
Microchipping offers a simple way to keep your pet safe and secure. Interested in microchipping your furry friend? Contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
AVMA: On Check the Chip Day, the AVMA Stresses Importance of Up-to-Date Microchip Registration, 8/13/2024
American Veterinary Medical Association: Microchipping FAQ
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine: 5 Things You Need to Know About Microchipping Your Pet, 6/8/2023
https://vetmed.vt.edu/news/2023/microchipping-your-pet.html
Purina: Puppy Microchipping: Everything You Should Know, 6/5/2025
https://www.purina.com/articles/dog/puppy/getting-a-puppy/microchipping-your-puppy
PetMD: Why You Should Microchip Your Cat, 9/19/2023