The microchip is only about the size of a grain of rice. But the small device could make a big difference in bringing a lost pet home.
“Microchipping” a pet has become an increasingly common practice nationwide. By one company’s estimate, more than 4 million pets in the United States have been implanted with a microchip that can be read by a handheld scanner. The ID can then be compared with an online database to reunite a pet and owner.
“Tags get lost,” said veterinarian Floyd Dorsey of Dorsey Animal Clinic, whose office just started doing the implants last year. “Tattoos wear off and get hard to read. And sometimes they’re hard to find. ... We recommend this to every person.”
The technology is not new but it’s only fairly recently that it’s come down in price. At one time, the chip was mainly used to secure high-dollar animals such as valuable racehorses. Now, with the procedure and registration fees totaling about $55, it’s affordable for most family dogs and cats.
Typically, an animal should be at least 12 weeks old before it’s microchipped. The chip itself is implanted through a large bore needle, usually into a loose flap of the neck or between the shoulder blades. Some animals feel a little discomfort, so sometimes a topical anesthetic is used or it’s done in combination with another procedure, such as spaying or neutering.
Most veterinarians offer the procedure and have readers, as do most shelters, including the Emporia Animal Shelter. The system is supported by both the American Kennel Club and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Dorsey’s office waited until last year to get the chips because of compatibility issues. There are two major types — the AVID microchip provided by PETrac and the Schering-Plough HomeAgain Microchip — and until fairly recently, scanners for one kind of chip wouldn’t notice the other.
“It left you wondering whose to use and who would stay in business,” Dorsey said. The issues have since been worked out and both types will register on any detector.
In about six months, Dorsey said, his office may have implanted about 75 of the chips.
An estimated 10 million animals are lost each year according to the American Humane Association, only about 17 percent of lost dogs and 2 percent of lost cats find their owners again.
“If a dog’s not chipped, the chance of finding the owner is pretty grim,” Dorsey said.
For those who travel with their pets, chipping may be a necessity. A growing number of European Union nations now require that animals brought into the country have the microchip implant.
The chip is good for the life of the pet.
The procedure has sometimes been talked about for humans as well, as a secure way of storing emergency medical information. However, privacy concerns and theological issues have kept that off the table.
This spring, Dorsey said, one of the companies that sells the chips may work with the Buck Fund to have a “chip day,” where the implants can be had for a discount. No date for the event has been set yet.
Right now is the quiet time of year. The big rush, Dorsey said, usually comes in September.
“At the beginning of bird season, a lot of people bring in their dogs to have them chipped or to make sure the chip’s still good,” he said.