What does it mean to have my dog microchipped?
A microchip is a very small (size of a rice grain) passive device that we insert underneath the dog’s skin. It’s pretty close to painless and goes in pretty quickly. When we insert that, it gives your dog permanent identification that allows the dog to be identified should they disappear for whatever reason.
Dr. Marty Greer
Checkout Veterinary
Can microchips be used to track my dog?
They can. It’s important to understand that it’s not going to emit a signal. It’s not like an air tag or a GPS that can send a signal out to a device, but if your dog is found by a member of the community, by somebody at a shelter, or by a veterinary clinic, they can scan that microchip. It displays a number unique only to you and your dog so that your dog can be identified as yours and they can get in touch with you when the dog is found.
How is a microchip used to identify my dog?
That unique number is usually registered with the microchip company. There are several, but it’s typically a pretty universal database. So if that ID number is detected either on the collar of the dog, if there’s a tag that says the microchip number on it, or when the dog is scanned, then the microchip company can release your name and phone number, and you can be contacted by the veterinary clinic, the shelter, the police department, or whoever has your dog to get them back to you.
Who can scan my dog’s microchip information?
That’s a great question. At the beginning of microchipping a few years ago, there weren’t as many scanners out there, so whether the dog would find you again was a little bit more questionable because if somebody didn’t realize the dog had a microchip, they might think of looking for it. In the last few years, microchips have become much more universal. Most police departments, shelters, and almost every veterinary clinic have the ability to scan a dog. Once that unique number is identified, a quick phone call to the microchip company, 24 hours a day, will be able to identify who you are and how to get the dog back to you.
What does the microchipping recovery process look like in the event my dog is lost?
It’s pretty fast. I’ve had people hear back from the microchip company before they even realize the dog is gone. If the dog slips out of the vehicle, the fence, or through a door, you’ll find your dog quickly if a good Samaritan, a member of the police department, or a shelter finds it. The microchip company will be in touch with you very shortly.
Why do veterinarians recommend getting my dog microchipped?
It’s the single best way to get the dog back home if something happens, they’re lost, they’re stolen, or if you’re in a car accident and the dog gets out of the vehicle. There are a thousand things that can go wrong, anything you can possibly imagine. So it’s really important to veterinarians that that dog finds its way back home. It’s a real tragedy when a dog gets lost, and you never know what happened to it or get it returned to you. Knowing there’s a way to get the dog back home is comforting.
What if I forget or lose my dog’s microchip information?
The good news is, at our practice, we register the microchip with the microchip registration company, so you don’t have to do anything other than keep your contact information up to date. If the microchip was never registered, it’s at least registered to the veterinary clinic that purchased that microchip. At the very least, the microchip company knows which veterinary clinic it was, and they can contact us, and then we can go back into our records and find out who the dog is. So if you didn’t keep your microchip information up to date, they’d contact us, and we’ll probably have your more recent contact information to identify where you’ve moved to or your new phone number.
Do all shelters scan for microchips?
Almost every shelter at this point has a scanning device, and most microchips are universal. So universally, it is something that a microchip scanner will pick up. It would be unusual for a shelter not to be able to scan a microchip.
Does a microchip ensure my dog will be found?
There are no promises. If dogs get lost, they can end up in places where we never find them. But if your dog is found, at least you’ll have some peace of mind knowing that if your dog is available to come back to you, they will find their way back home. Hopefully, anybody that finds the dog will take them to a veterinarian or a shelter that can scan that dog and help them find their way back home again.
My dog already has a collar and tag, so why do they need a microchip?
Collars and tags can be removed. We used to do a lot of tattoos, and even tattoos can be altered. So those aren’t always a guarantee, but a microchip being under the skin is something people can’t find and remove. That microchip will stay with your dog forever.
We’re always happy to talk to them about it. They can give us a call at 920 269 4000 or 608 318 6700, and we can go through the information with you and schedule an appointment.
If you have additional questions regarding the benefits of dog microchipping, we’re happy to help out! Give us a call at checkout at (608) 318-6700 to get the answer to your question. You can even schedule an appointment at the same time. Please don’t hesitate to contact us!
