Microchips Mean Happy Endings
It’s roughly the size of a grain of rice and only takes a few seconds to implant, but microchipping is one of the most important things you can do to keep your pet safe. A recent study by The Ohio State University found that dogs with microchips were almost 2.5 times more likely to be reunited with their owners than those without chips. Microchips increased the odds of a lost cat being returned by a whopping 21 times.
Thousands of pets go missing each year, and many of them never return home to their owners. NDS Animal Hospital wants to help you make it easier to find your pets should you ever get separated. Collars and tags are important, but can be easily lost or removed. This is why we recommend microchipping as a means of permanent identification.
A microchip is a safe, simple form of identification that can significantly increase the chance that your lost pet will come home to you. It’s about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. Implantation takes only a few minutes and can be completed during any visit to our clinic.
Pet Microchipping: Tiny Tech, Big Difference
Each microchip has a unique registration number that is linked to your pet’s vital information. This includes your name, address, and contact information. This information is stored in a national pet recovery database, and veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, and animal control facilities across the country are equipped with scanners that can detect microchips and read their identification numbers. When a stray pet is brought to one of these offices, they will be scanned for a microchip. If they have a chip, the owner’s contact information can be obtained, and a happy reunion becomes a reality!
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) maintains an online Microchip Registry Lookup tool that anyone can use to determine who the manufacturer of a pet’s microchip is. Please note that this website does not disclose pet owner information or allow pet owners to update their pets’ microchips. It is a lookup tool to help identify the registry where a pet’s microchip is registered, and is a good place to begin your search if you only have a pet’s microchip number. To access the lookup tool, click the button below.
Whether your pet is young or old, whether they are indoors or outdoors, getting them microchipped and keeping your contact information up to date is an essential part of responsible pet ownership.