What is pet microchipping and what are its advantages?

If you’re a dog or cat owner, there’s always the chance that your pet could get lost. Should this happen, it may be difficult for you to find them, especially if they weren’t wearing a tag when they went missing. To avoid having to scour the city to bring your furry friend home, consider giving them a microchip implant. It’s a highly practical and increasingly popular solution. Let us tell you why!

The most reliable way to identify your pet

Microchips are capsules about the size of a grain of rice. They house a computer chip on which your pet’s identification number and other important information are encoded. To install the chip, a veterinarian injects it under the skin between the animal’s shoulder blades. When a lost microchipped pet is found, all the information needed to reunite them with their owner can be instantly obtained with a microchip scanner. All pets brought to shelters are scanned right away in case they have a microchip.

If you’re worried about your pet suffering while receiving the implant, you can put your mind at ease. According to the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec, the procedure only causes a mild discomfort. Not a minute after the chip is injected, your pet will have forgotten all about it. Here’s a list of some of the benefits of having your pet microchipped:

• Unlike a tag, a microchip can’t become lost or illegible
• You never have to take off or replace a microchip (but it’s essential to keep the contact information you have in the registry up to date)
• Identification by microchip can save your pet from being euthanized (some shelters might resort to this action if a pet isn’t claimed within a few days)
• Microchipping is a permanent and affordable identification tool (it costs between $40 and $100)
• No one can contest that you’re the legitimate owner of the animal (sometimes more than one person claims to be the owner of the same recovered dog or cat)
• If your animal is brought to a veterinary clinic after being struck by a vehicle or suffers another accident, you can be contacted right away

Thinking of getting a microchip implant for your pet? Speak to your veterinarian or find out whether your municipality plans on holding a “microchipping day,” or “journée de micropuçage,” in the near future. Some municipalities in Quebec periodically have initiatives of this kind, and the microchipping may be done for free if the pet owner meets certain criteria.

To treat your furry friend with toys, accessories and high-quality food, head over to Chico, your neighbourhood pet shop.