5 Benefits of Dog Microchipping and How It Works

Microchipping is becoming an increasingly common practice, and most rescue groups and veterinarians recommend this process to help your pet stay safe. Dogs that are microchipped are much more likely to make it home to their family if they get lost. This is also a great way to identify stray animals that are found wandering without collars or ID tags.

Dog microchipping is a simple and affordable process that allows pets to be safer and helps owners to have peace of mind. If you have never microchipped your pets, you might be curious about how the process works and what it can do for you and your pets. Your vet can check to see if your pet has a microchip on file already or if you can go ahead and get a new one implanted at your request.

How Microchipping Works

This is a really simple process for both you and your pet.

Talk with Your Vet

Your veterinarian can easily insert a microchip for you at a wellness exam visit without having to sedate your pet. The microchip is the size of a grain of rice, and your pet will not even notice that it is inserted once it has been placed. All dogs can be microchipped by your vet, and you can register your details for either species with the company that provides the microchip. Once your pet is registered any veterinarian or shelter will be able to scan your dog to read the microchip. 

Chip is Inserted

The process of inserting a microchip is simple. The chip is placed under the skin on the back of the neck. You will then be given a security code to use on the company’s website to register your information for your pet. You will need to keep the information about your pet and your location up to date on the company website for the microchip to be effective.

Keep Your Information Updated

If you are in the process of moving to a new location, you will need to update your pet’s location details promptly before you relocate. Pets are prone to getting away from their owners during a move, and this is a key aspect of protecting your pet from being lost for weeks or from being adopted by someone else before you can track them down.

Benefits of Dog Microchipping

This process offers many benefits to pet owners and pets alike and that is why it has become so prevalent.

1. Provides Quick ID of Your Pet

Microchips can be read by a basic scanner at the rescue or at the vet’s office. This will provide all the information that is needed to contact you to let you know where your pet is. Tags and collars can be lost or removed, but a microchip cannot. For anyone who travels with their pets regularly, a microchip is a much safer solution than counting on a collar or other form of ID to allow your pet to be returned to you if they get lost.

2. Microchipping is Easy and Painless

Your pet will be able to get microchipped in the vet’s office without being sedated. This process is very simple and pain-free and is over in seconds. Old solutions like tattoos of the skin and older versions of the microchip process were much more invasive, but those days are over. Your pet can be protected from theft or becoming a stray with ease in just a few moments at the veterinarian.

3. Microchipping is Affordable

The cost to microchip your pet is negligible, and you will not pay a hefty fee to register your information with the company that made the chip, either. This is something that anyone can afford, and many rescues will microchip pets as soon as they arrive. Microchipping is not nearly as expensive as other kinds of care that you might need to provide to your pet, making it easy to justify the small fee to keep your pet safe.

4. Microchips Offer Other Benefits

There are an increasing number of side benefits to registering your dog with a microchip. You might get discounts for your pet’s food, coupons to do a DNA test to find out what kind of dog they are, and more! Many microchip companies can also offer advanced chips that will prevent animals from coming through your dog door that are not your pet and that offer other cool smart functions.

Another cool feature of most of the microchip companies out there is that you can register your pet’s health needs and limitations on their profile to help make sure they get the care they need if they get lost.

5. Legal Requirements for Microchipping

Dog microchipping is also a legal requirement in some states. You might need to check on the rules and regulations for your state of residence to see if your dog has to be microchipped when they get their required rabies vaccination. This is one of the things that can save pets from entering the foster system, and many states are beginning to see the value in requiring this small thing to be done to save time and energy when pets get lost.

Microchipping is Easy and Effective

There are so many reasons that you should get your dog microchipped. You will have the peace of mind that they can be found I they get lost, and you will also be able to protect your pet from being rehomed as a stray if they should be picked up by a rescue. For animals with food allergies or other health issues, this information can be stored in their profile on the microchip site as well. This will ensure that your pet will get the care they need even if they have run away from home.

Microchipping is required in some states now if you own a dog, and you might want to add a microchip to your pet’s plans in the future if this is the case. Since the procedure to insert one is so simple, and the chip is so small that your pet won’t notice it at all, you don’t even have to worry about your pet recovering after the chip has been put in. This is one of the best, most effective strategies for keeping your pet safe, and you should consider making sure that all your pets have a microchip as soon as possible.

Heart + Paw is here if your dog needs to be microchipped. Book an appointment online at any of our locations today!