Microchips have become very popular in the US, and most shelters microchip all of the cats and dogs that get adopted. These tiny devices are beneficial, but there tend to be misunderstandings or confusion about how they function and serve you as a pet owner.
What Exactly Is a Microchip and How Does it Work?
A microchip is a very tiny (only slightly bigger than a grain of rice) frequency-transmitting device made of silica. It consists of only a few parts–the microchip itself, a capacitor, and a coil that powers the chip when activated by an external signal. All of this is contained in a tiny, biocompatible glass capsule. Technicians use a special syringe to insert the chip beneath the skin tissue of the animal. The microchip is typically inserted between the shoulder blades in cats and dogs.
Microchips use radio frequency to emit a readable signal, which produces an identification number unique to that microchip alone. Veterinarians or shelter workers can scan an animal, and the reader will produce the microchip number and the phone number of the registry that has this number in their database.
It is important to note that a microchip is not like a GPS–it is not constantly emitting a signal that can be picked up or tracked. The chip only transmits its identification number when a scanner sends a signal to the chip, activating it long enough to send the identification number back to the scanner.
Is Microchipping Safe?
Some pet owners are understandably concerned by the concept of a chip being implanted in their pet. In reality, microchipping is a minimally-invasive procedure that takes less than 15 minutes to complete–your dog doesn’t even need to take time to heal from it. It poses no harm to your pet’s body and will not even cause an immune response when inserted. Though the syringe is large, it causes only minor discomfort when implanted while your pet is awake; most times though, microchips are given while an animal is under anesthesia for their spay or neuter. When the microchip is read, it does transmit a radio signal. However, this signal is comparable to those we experience in everyday life from living with devices like radios and cell phones.
How Does It Work?
Microchipping significantly improves the chances that your pet will be returned to you if they run away or are lost. However, a few critical pieces of the puzzle must be in place for a successful return to take place. First, your pet must be microchipped, of course. Second, your information has to be current in the microchip database so that you can be contacted. If you adopt an animal that had a previous owner, be sure to call the microchip company once your adoption is complete to have the information in their database changed to yours. It would be best to do this any time you move or change phone numbers. Lastly, be sure that anyone who finds your pet knows to bring them to a vet to be scanned–get a tag for their collar that clearly states that they are microchipped. Once you have done all this, you know your pet has the best chance of being reunited with your family should they go missing.
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