The Importance of Pet Microchipping and Identification: Safeguarding our Beloved Companions
Pets hold a special place in our hearts, providing companionship, love, and joy to countless households around the world. As responsible pet owners, it’s our duty to ensure the safety and well-being of our furry friends, and one crucial aspect of this is proper identification. While traditional methods like collars and tags serve their purpose, advancements in technology have introduced a more reliable and permanent solution and this is why you should microchip your pet.
Understanding Pet Microchipping
The microchip is implanted into the dog or cat subcutaneously (right below the skin) in the area of the shoulder by a licensed veterinarian, a veterinary hospital or a trained nurse. This process is quick and painless for your pet.
Each microchip contains a unique identification number that can be scanned using a handheld microchip scanner. This identification number is linked to a database containing the pet owner’s contact information, allowing lost or stray pets to be reunited with their families quickly and efficiently.
How Does a Microchip Work?
A microchip contains only a number. It is a passive device and only emits a signal when scanned by a microchip reader. If your pet is lost, the animal shelter or control officer can scan your pet and see the number. If your pet has been registered by you in a microchip database, you will then be contacted to arrange the return of your pet. However, it is essential that you register your pet and keep your contact information up to date.
In addition to the microchip, your pet should have a pet tag on its collar with your cell phone number, the microchip number and the name of the manufacturer of the microchip.
The Importance of Pet Identification
Whether you travel or not, identifying your pet is the responsibility of any pet owner.
Did you know that over 80% of dogs and cats who are not microchipped and are separated from their owners are NEVER reunited with their owners?
Countless pets go missing due to unforeseen circumstances such as escape, theft, or natural disasters. Without proper identification, the chances of reuniting lost pets with their families are significantly reduced. Collars and tags can easily become lost or removed, rendering them ineffective in identifying lost pets. In contrast, microchips provide a permanent and tamper-proof form of identification that remains with your pet throughout their lifetime.
The solution: microchip your dog or cat! A visit to your veterinarian and a painless and gentle insertion after which you register your contact information is all it takes to help ensure that your pet can always be identified and returned to you.
Why Your Pet Needs a Microchip
- Permanent Identification: Unlike collars and tags, which can become lost or damaged, microchips provide a permanent form of identification that cannot be removed or altered. Each pet microchip has its own unique identifying number, so your pet is easily identifiable.
- Reliable Reunification: Microchips significantly increase the likelihood of reuniting lost pets with their owners. Animal shelters, veterinary clinics, and animal control agencies routinely scan lost pets for microchips to identify their owners. Registering your pet’s microchip with your contact information is proof positive of ownership.
- International Recognition: Microchips are universally recognized and can be scanned by microchip readers worldwide, making them invaluable for pet owners who travel or relocate with their pets. Additionally, they are frequently required to import a pet to a foreign country. Microchips that are compliant with ISO Standard 11784 or Annex A to 11785 are accepted worldwide.
- Prevention of Theft: Microchips serve as a deterrent to pet theft, as stolen pets can be easily identified and traced back to their rightful owners.
- Medical Information: Some microchips allow pet owners to store additional information, such as medical history, vaccination records, and dietary requirements, which can be accessed by veterinary professionals in case of emergencies.
- They last forever: Pet microchips are good for the life of your pet. They do not transmit information unless they are scanned by a microchip scanner.
The Microchipping Process
The microchipping process is quick, simple, and virtually painless for pets. A veterinarian or trained professional inserts the microchip beneath the pet’s skin using a sterile needle (Datamars manufacturers the smallest microchip – the like the Datamars Microfindr™ Slim). The procedure is similar to a routine vaccination and typically takes only a few seconds to complete. Once implanted, veterinarians should scan the microchip to ensure proper implantation. Pet owners must ensure their contact information is registered and kept up to date with the microchip database to facilitate prompt identification and reunification in the event of a lost pet.
Why is Microchipping Necessary for International Travel?
If you are traveling to an EU Country and many other countries in the world, a microchip for your dog or cat is mandatory as veterinary officials use it to compare your pet that they are scanning to the veterinary documents you have presented. Many countries require a microchip for dogs and cats to enter. See a list of countries that require a microchip. In these cases, all required documentation must show your pet’s microchip number.
The 15-digit ISO pet microchip is the world standard, and if you are traveling to an EU country and your pet has a nine or ten-digit microchip, you can choose to have a 15-digit pet microchip implanted or you will need to carry your own microchip scanner.
What are the Different Types of Microchips?
There are three different types of microchips marketed in the United States. Only one of the three types is accepted worldwide.
The chip that is the universal standard meets ISO standards 11784/11785. It is a fifteen-digit pet microchip operating at 134.2 kHz. If your pet will be traveling internationally, this is the microchip you should use. Datamars is one of the manufacturers of this microchip as is HomeAgain.
Related: Announcement: Pet Travel Partners with Datamars
Related: Order a Datamars ISO compliant pet microchip.
Related: Read more about a Datamars pet microchip.
The second type of chip is a 10-digit chip operating at 128.2 kHz manufactured by Avid. This chip is accepted in the US, Hawaii, Korea and a few other countries.
The microchip manufactured by Destron Fearing Corporation) also conforms to Annex A 2.1 of the ISO 11785 which is the temporary standard issued by the member countries of the European Union. It can be read by all scanners manufactured by Digital Angel distributed around the world. The microchip is known by several names around the world.
United States: Home Again
Australia: LifeChip
Canada: Petnet
Japan: LifeChip
New Zealand: LifeChip
South Africa: Identipet or Destron Chip
United Kingdom: Identichip or Destron Chip
European Continent: Indexel (marketed by Merial)
Nordic Countries: Indexel (marketed by Merial)
Why Choose a Datamars Microchip?
We recommend the ISO compatible Datamars Microfindr™ Slim microchip. Why? Their advanced technology has produced a microchip that is smaller than other microchips, and the implanter has a thinner gauge needle. Also, an audible click will indicate when the chip is implanted, and the chamber will lock and not allow the chip to be withdrawn with the needle. This is a vast improvement over other implantation devices and it is only available from Datamars.
The registered version of the Datamars Microfindr™ Slim microchip includes FREE registration in a database found at PetLink.net.
Related: Datamars Microfindr™ Slim microchip specifications
Related: More information about microchipping your pet
Why is a Microchip Scanner Important?
The pet microchip ( also referred to as a transponder) contains only a number. It is a passive device that only responds when scanned by a microchip scanner (also referred to as a reader). When traveling internationally, if your pet does not have the microchip that meets ISO standards 11784 or 11785, it is advisable to carry your own scanner.
Together, the microchip and scanner form an ID card for your pet. A scanner can verify the proper insertion and location of your cat or dog’s microchip. It will provide proof of your pet’s identity, whether for an enforcement officer, at a competition or event, clearing customs in a foreign country or anytime your pet needs to be positively identified.
A scanner can also serve to tie your pet to its health and test certificates. It is important to verify that the microchip number on all veterinary and vaccination certificates matches your pet’s microchip.
Conclusion
Pet microchipping is a vital tool in safeguarding the well-being of our beloved companions. By providing a permanent and reliable form of identification, microchips increase the likelihood of lost pets being reunited with their families and offer peace of mind to pet owners everywhere. This is why your pet needs a microchip. As responsible pet owners, it’s essential to prioritize microchipping as part of our pets’ overall care and welfare. Together, we can ensure that every pet has the best possible chance of finding their way back home where they belong.
Don’t wait to microchip your pet. It is such an easy thing to do to ensure that your pet can find you, and you can find it, if it should ever get separated from you. That’s peace of mind.
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