MicroChips -- The Smartest Money You'll Ever Spend

In March 1995, my new Yorkie puppy, Chancery Collette Byers ("C.C." to her friends) was the second dog in Manhattan to receive the newest fad in pet safety -- a microchip. We had an 8:30AM "well-puppy" vet visit and the microchips had just arrived the night before. The vet explained that the microchip was used in the event a dog was lost with no tags or collar. The chip could be scanned with a portable handheld device (available at most vet offices and shelters) and the pet returned using owner contact information stored on a central database.

The vet was eager to work with this new technology and encouraged me to get a chip for C.C. I was hesitant because the technology and the insertion procedure was new. However, the vet assured me that he had practiced insertion of the chip that morning on the (poor and unsuspecting) clinic cat ... and he looked none the worse for wear. So I authorized C.C. to be the second pet in Manhattan to have the Very Best. Thank goodness the vet was a quick study, because C.C.'s procedure went perfectly. C.C. kept that microchip for the remainder of her life with no problems whatsoever.

********

How Does A Microchip Work?

A veterinarian injects a tiny microchip about the size of a grain of rice (12mm) beneath the surface of your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. The process is similar to a routine shot, takes only a few seconds, and your pet will not react any more than he would to a vaccination. No anesthetic is required.

The microchip itself has no internal energy source, so it will last the life of your pet. It is read by passing a microchip scanner over the pet’s shoulder blades. The scanner emits a low radio frequency that provides the power necessary to transmit the microchip’s unique code and positively identify the pet. If your pet gets lost and is taken to an animal shelter or veterinarian, they will scan the microchip to read its unique code. This is the number used by the chip provider to identify the pet and retrieve your contact information, which is used to contact you and reunite you with your pet.

Credit: homeagain.com