Why Pet Microchipping Is Important

Your pet is like another member of your family, so it stands to reason that you would do everything possible to keep your pet healthy and safe. Along with making sure your pet is properly vaccinated and receives regular checkups, it's smart to have your pet microchipped at a pet care clinic in Katy, TX. There are numerous reasons why this is important. Here's what you need to know about how microchipping works and why it's a good idea.

What A Microchip Is

A microchip is a tiny chip about the size of a grain of rice that's placed just under the skin of your pet. The chip contains electronic identification information, which is a number unique to each chip and each pet. The number on the chip is recorded on a database registry, which contains information about both the animal and the owner so that there's contact information available for a pet that becomes lost and is turned into a pet care clinic or animal shelter. The chip is placed using a procedure similar to a vaccination. It's injected just under the skin between the shoulder blades. This allows a microchip scanner to easily find the chip and scan it when necessary. There are many benefits of using this type of identification for your pet.

Reliability

Perhaps the biggest reason to have your pet microchipped is that it's the most reliable and effective method of increasing the chances that your pet will be returned to you if it gets lost. Every shelter and veterinary office has the means of scanning the chip when your lost pet is turned in, so as long as you keep your information on the database current, your pet can easily be returned to you, regardless of the distance between you. While it's important to keep tags on your pet that contain identifying information, these tags can easily be lost. A microchip is in place for life, which means the identifying information will remain with your pet in any circumstance.

Minimally Invasive

Microchipping is minimally invasive and causes very little discomfort for your animal. The procedure only takes a few seconds, and the only pain your pet will experience is the same pinch experienced with a vaccination. Once the chip is implanted, the discomfort ceases. Your pet will forget the chip is there, and you'll have the peace of mind that it'll be easier for your pet to be returned to you if they should ever wander away.

Convenience

Having your pet microchipped causes little, if any, inconvenience for you as the pet owner. There are numerous places to get your animal microchipped, including a vet's office, an animal shelter, and other authorized animal welfare organizations. Taking just a few minutes of your time to microchip your pet now can save you hours, days, and even weeks of searching later on if your pet gets lost.

When to Microchip

There's no reason to wait to have your pet microchipped. As soon as you adopt your pet, you should have him or her microchipped because it's the only sure way of identifying your pet. Pets both old and young should be microchipped even if you don't live in a state where doing so is mandatory. If your pet isn't microchipped yet, be sure to contact Katy Veterinary Clinic, the best vet clinic in Katy, TX, to get this done as soon as possible.