Getting your pet microchipped makes sense for any pet owner.  If your pet is microchipped, you have a greater chance that your furry friend finds their way home if they run away. Unfortunately, many pet owners whose dogs go AWOL never see their beloved pets again.

Let’s look at some of the reasons why it makes sense to microchip your pet. First, what exactly is a microchip for pets?

What is a pet microchip?

Microchips for pets are tiny computer circuits that contain a uniquely identifiable number that links to a database. A pet microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and can be inserted by a syringe. Inserting the chip is as simple as getting your pet vaccinated.

If a pet dog or cat is picked up without any sign of its owner around, the vet or kennel can find the owner very quickly through the information on the database.

The benefits of getting your pet microchipped

Let’s look at the many benefits of getting your pet microchipped.

They can’t fall off

Although a pet microchip works the same was as an ID tag, they can never break or get lost.

Get reunited quickly

The biggest reason for getting your pet microchipped is that your pet cat or dog can be returned to you speedily. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that the majority of pet owners were successfully returned to their owners because of microchipping.

Among the cats and dogs who had a microchip but couldn’t be returned, the main reason was that owners hadn’t updated their change of address in the database.

So, there is an important lesson there when it comes to the benefits of microchipping your pet. The system only works if you keep information on the database regularly updated.

National Check the Chip Day

Every August 15 is National Check the Chip Day where pet owners are reminded to make sure their pet is microchipped and that recorded information is up to date. So, if you haven’t already done so, why not make an appointment with your local veterinary clinic to check your pet’s chip.