Should You Microchip Your Pet?

Why should I microchip?

Do you remember hearing about the fire in Fort McMurray? What about the floods in BC? Well, microchipping is helpful in these kinds of situations as well as if they get lost in general. When your pet gets lost or a natural disaster/storm has somehow made your furry friend separate from you. Microchipping is your best bet to get them home. When someone finds your friend, all they have to do is bring the animal into a vet clinic and scan the microchip. Then copy the microchip number and contact the company that did it and let them know you found the animal. Then they can notify the owners and let them know their best friend was found.

What should I consider when microchipping?

When you start to think about microchipping there are a few things you will want to think about. Will this benefit my pet and me? How is the microchip given? What company do they use at my clinic?

Will it help me track my pet when lost?

Unfortunately, microchipping does NOT help track your pet as awesome as that would be. All microchipping can do is read the code to find out who owns them. This means you will need to make sure with your company that your contact information is always correct including name, phone number, email, etc.

How much are they?

Microchipping can vary in costs depending on many things such as province, clinic, company that the microchip is from, or if it is included with a surgery. I have seen them range from $30-$80. Make sure to call your veterinarian and ask them what their price is. Also, ask if it is cheaper to do it at their spay and neuter or any other surgery they may be having.

When should I get a microchip?

The best time to microchip your best friend is when they come in to get spayed or neutered. Why is this the best? Well because the needle for the microchip is larger than our regular needles. While the largest we normally use is an 18g the microchip needle is about a 12g. This means that our furry friends who are on the smaller side due to breed or age would prefer to be under the anesthetic gas and not feel anything. The next best time to get a microchip is as soon as you get your furry friend. This will make sure right away if anything happens you can get them back.

How does Microchipping process work?

So to start when you have chosen to microchip, the first step is to bring your friend into a veterinary clinic. Then a needle that has a microchip inside of it is attached to the syringe. Each microchip is a different number and each microchip comes with a tag that also has a unique name. Do not confuse these; your tag number will not be the same as your microchip. The tag just lets others know they are microchipped. Then the needle is given into the subcutaneous skin between their shoulder blades. It is a very quick procedure. If your pet is awake while we do this, depending on the pet as they each vary in what they can handle or how they react, they may get a spray-on them to help freeze the spot and make it a better experience. After this, a form is filled out on your behalf and sent to the registry to have all your information. However, the vet clinic only does the registration so you will have the responsibility of making sure the information is correct. The registration process can take up to 48 hours to complete. After that you get to sleep well knowing that your furry friend has the capability to make it back home to you should they go missing.

By: Ashley Goss, Veterinary Technician