Microchips
Microchipping Facts and Information
- A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin between a pet’s shoulder blades.
- Collars/ID tags can be taken off. A microchip is permanent and lasts the lifetime of a pet.
- Microchips are not GPS devices. They do not track the location of your pet, but rather maintain a unique ID number that shows up when scanned. The number is then called into a microchip company and they are able to tell them who the chip is registered to. It is VERY important to keep your information up to date.
- There are no annual fees or extra costs unless you choose to elect the extra coverage (insurance, etc.) that some of the microchip companies offer. But your information is secure on the microchip. It will be there whether you pay the annual fee or not.
Scanning a pet for microchip is a free service provided by shelters and veterinarians. Make sure that they cover the entire pet – from head to tail as some microchip brands may migrate to other areas of the body (leg, neck, etc).
At your annual vet visit, it is always a good idea to ask your veterinarian to scan your pet – just to make sure your pet’s chip is still detectable.
It is extremely important to update your pet’s information if you should move, change your phone number, or rehome your pet.
To do this, just contact the company that your pet’s microchip is registered with – If you are unsure of your pet’s number, please take it to a vet or shelter to have it scanned. They will be able to help you.
To determine which company your pet’s microchip is registered with – please visit https://www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-microchip-lookup/microchip-search/