Welcome to Grove Lodge Veterinary Group Ltd
Microchips Explained
- Why do we recommend microchipping your pet?
- Unlike a collar and name disk, a microchip is a permanent means of identification that cannot break or fall off. A record of your pet's description, log number and contact details is held on a central register so that once your pet has been found and scanned, he or she can be returned as quickly as possible to you. Microchipping is also an essential requirement for cats and dogs travelling under the Pet Travel Scheme.
- How is a microchip implanted, and is it painful?
- The microchip is a tiny implant that is injected into the skin at the scruff of the neck. The procedure is not usually painful, but can be a little uncomfortable for very small pets, since the needle bore is slightly larger than those usually used for injections. For this reason, we prefer to microchip puppies and kittens at 12 weeks of age or older. You may decide to wait until your pet is neutered, so that the chip can be implanted whilst the animal is under general anaesthesia. Most animals tolerate the procedure very well if administered consciously, and it does only take a couple of seconds!
- At what age can I get my pet microchipped?
- There is no upper or lower age limit.
- Can pets other than cats or dogs be microchipped?
- Any animal can be microchipped. We have implanted chips into ferrets that go out and about on a harness and lead. It is even possible to microchip tortoises and birds, and in fact offers proof of ownership should such a pet be stolen.
- How does the microchip work?
- The microchip is like a bar-code that is implanted under the pet's skin. It can be read by a special battery operated scanner. The animal's log number will appear on the scanner screen. Several different companies manufacture pet microchips, but they all share information. Most scanners can read all brands of chip.
- Are there any complications associated with microchips?
- Occasionally, a chip can migrate to another part of the body. This does not usually cause clinical symptoms, but can make the chip difficult to locate! If this happens, we may suggest surgical removal and the insertion of a new implant. In very rare cases, the pet's body rejects the chip as foreign material and expels it back through the route in which it was implanted.
- What happens if I move house or rehome my animal?
- Make sure that you notify the microchip company so that your details can be amended.
For more information please look at the following sites
bSAVA
www.bsava.com/resources/microchipadvice/reunitingowners
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