A microchip is a tiny integrated, electronic circuit that is implanted into your pet. Constructed of silicone and semiconductors, the radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip is approximately the size of a long grain of rice, about 3/8- to 1/2-inch, and stores information. The chip our veterinarian will implant in your pet contains a code that you register with an official pet registry. After the chip is implanted, you fill out a registration form containing information about your pet such as a physical description and where your pet lives. This information is stored in a database and retrievable via the code on your pet’s microchip. If your pet is lost, a veterinary clinic or animal hospital can read the microchip with a special RFID scanning device. Animal shelters and many law enforcement agencies also have scanners that can read the microchip.
How Veterinarians Microchip Your Pet
It is easy for one of our qualified veterinarians to microchip your pet! Conveniently located in Edmond, OK we serve many areas including Piedmont, Meridian, Bethany, Seward, Jones, and Choctaw. The microchipping process is similar to giving your pet a vaccination and only takes a few seconds. The microchip itself comes preloaded in a special device. Our veterinarian sterilizes the area between your pet’s shoulder blades where there is loose skin. The chip is then injected just under your pet’s skin as if he was receiving a routine vaccination.
Risks Associated with Microchipping
Although the process of microchipping your pet is simple, there have been rare reports of complications. Infection and abscess related to microchipping have occurred in extremely rare cases, usually when implanted incorrectly by someone other than a veterinarian or relocated after implantation, but again, this is rare. There have also been reports of tumors growing near the implantation site, but it is unclear whether these were caused by the microchip. Remember, complications are few and far between and the likelihood of something unfortunate happening to your pet due to microchipping can arguably be outweighed by the benefits.
Why Our Veterinarians Recommend Microchipping for Pets in Edmond, Seward, Piedmont, Bethany, Meridian, Jones, and Choctaw, OK
One reason veterinarians recommend microchipping is that the AKC reports as many as one-third of all pets get lost at some point.1 A traditional ID tag, incidentally also recommended, may not be enough to help your pet find his way home. Collars can be lost, ID tags can become damaged or unreadable, and some pet owners simply do not use collars or ID tags. Veterinarians know how important your pet is to you and understand the devastation that occurs when pets get lost. Because accidents happen and it is impossible to know whether your pet will be one of the many thousands lost each year, microchipping is the most reliable way for your pet to be identified and returned to you. It is also recommended by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
For more information about microchipping your pet, give us a call today at (405) 330-0676!