Benefits of Microchipping Your Dog

Becoming reunited with a lost pet is an invaluable experience. When pets are returned, many times it is because the animal was microchipped and could be traced back to the owner. You may have heard about microchipping in dogs, but do you understand its importance?

Why Does My Dog Need to Be Microchipped?

Some argue that their dog has a physical dog tag, so they do not need to be microchipped. However, the problem with this is that tags and collars can break off or be removed. Even if a tag is on the collar, over time it can become difficult to read the contact information. With that being said, even with a microchip, all pets should continue to wear a collar with ID tags attached.

About Microchip Technology

The same size as a grain of rice, a microchip is tiny. A microchip contains no battery. It becomes activated when a scanner is held over the area. The scanner sends out radio waves to the chip and it becomes activated. Another name for microchip is transponder.

What Are the Benefits of Microchipping?

Safety of Procedure

When discussing the benefits of microchipping your dog, the first aspect to consider is your dog’s safety and comfort. Thankfully, you don’t need to worry in either of those areas. The microchip is simply inserted with a needle underneath your dog’s skin. It does not require any surgery or anesthesia.

Effectiveness

Should your pet become lost, that tiny little microchip is the ticket that can deliver them back into your arms. This is because your pet’s microchip contains your most updated contact information within it. This is important because if your dog’s physical tag around their neck gets lost, their microchip will act as a backup form of identification.

Effectively Using a Dog Microchip

Your dog’s chip has to be registered with a national pet recovery database. When you take care of this, be sure to enter all of your contact information. This includes cellphone and landline numbers for you and any other pet parents in your family. Doing this will ensure that if your dog is ever found that someone can get in touch with you right away.

Is a Microchip a GPS?

The answer is no. A microchip cannot be used to track the location of your dog, like a GPS signal does. Though a GPS tells you the location of your dog, it cannot identify your dog to you and bring them back home to you. In addition to this, a GPS is generally a rechargeable or battery-powered collar. It can run out of charge and can be lost just like a collar, or tags can. A microchip is permanent.

Takeaway

In America, 1 out of 3 pets end up becoming lost. Should this happen to your dog, having them microchipped will make your chances of reuniting much more likely.