Micro-chipping: The Modern Approach to Pet Identification
If you are careful to keep an ID tag on your pet at all times, you are to be commended for taking this important step in helping him find his way back home to you if he should get lost. There is an another means of identifying a pet -- one that is more permanent and reliable, yet surprisingly affordable to implement. This method is called micro-chipping, and here at Greenfield Veterinary Clinic we are happy to make this service available to our furry patients.
Micro-chipping is a quick, simple, non-surgical procedure for implanting a tiny piece of circuitry called a microchip just beneath the skin of your pet, usually in the vicinity of the shoulder blades. The registry service that issued your pet's microchip has its contact information programmed into it, as well as a unique ID number. (Your name and contact information is submitted to this service in association with the unique ID at the time of implantation.) If a shelter worker or other animal care professional scans your pet with a radio-frequency scanner, the chip will send its information to the scanner display so the worker can contact the registry. The registry then calls you and lets you know where you can pick up your pet.
Implementing the Microchip
You may be wondering how our veterinarian in Greenfield manages to implant a microchip into an animal without performing surgery. The key lies in the size of the microchip, which is so tiny that it can actually pass through a hypodermic needle. This allows us to simply inject the microchip under the skin, where it will reside for the life of your pet.
Why go to the extra trouble of micro-chipping your pet when he's already wearing a tag? A standard collar-mounted ID tag can easily be torn off or otherwise removed in the course of an animal's daily activities. If those activities lead to his getting separated from you, you might have no idea that he now has no way for anyone to identify him and contact you with his whereabouts. A microchip is firmly embedded underneath an animal's skin, so it is not going anywhere -- and since it requires no internal power supply, it can operate flawlessly for up to 25 years. Consider micro-chipping an essential form of "insurance" to help guarantee that your pet is always carrying some kind of identification.
As remarkable as this technology is, it should not be your sole pet identification strategy. For every animal shelter, boarding kennel or veterinarian in Greenfield equipped with an RFID scanner, there are many more residents who might encounter your lost pet first. So it is common sense to use both a standard tag and a microchip.
Contact Our Veterinarian in Greenfield Today
If your pet goes missing, you will be glad you took every pet identification measure to maximize the chances for his safe return. Contact our veterinarian in Greenfield today to schedule micro-chipping for your beloved companion.You can call too at (414) 282-5230!