Dog supplies: Microchips

Add a comment to this page

Despite our best intentions, dogs get out when we're sure they can't. They run through open doors, dig under fences, hop out car windows, and squeeze through tiny little cat doors that you'd swear couldn't accommodate a squirrel, much less your bouncy dog.

In combination with an ID tag, a microchip is your safest bet for getting your lost dog returned to you safely. These tiny chips are embedded between your dog's shoulder and, when scanned, can be used to identify your dog and who he belongs to. Anyone who's ever lost a dog knows that whatever helps you find him again is worth having.

How microchips work

A microchip is about the size of a raw grain of rice and is made of biocompatible material. Using a large syringe, a veterinarian implants it into the skin beneath your dog's shoulder blades. (Local shelters will often microchip dogs as well, sometimes at a reduced cost.) This placement is permanent. The implantation procedure doesn't hurt any more than any other injection, and there's no need for local anesthetic.

A scanner is then used to check that the microchip is working properly. The scanner uses a radio wave set at a certain frequency to turn the microchip on, then sends a signal to the implanted chip. In response, the chip's number is sent to the scanner. Your contact information is matched to the microchip's number and sent to a registry. Each microchip has a unique number.

What's good about microchips

• Shelters, animal control personnel, and veterinarians use them to try to identify stray dogs. The registry will show the owners' contact information. These registries are usually open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Some companies provide a more comprehensive service, such as preauthorizing a financial limit in case your dog is found injured.
• Microchips will last 25 years.

What's bad about microchips

Unfortunately, in the U.S. the system  [Continued]