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PrintMicrochipping Your Pet
Kyle Chesser">
Photograph by Kyle Chesser
Owning a pet can be one of the most rewarding and joyful aspects of life, but along with the delights come some nagging, yet valid concerns.
Many people worry that their furry companion may wander off and get lost, or even stolen. Increasingly, pet owners are addressing these fears by opting to microchip their animals. Microchips are grain-of-rice-sized electronic chips that contain a serial number used to identify a pet and reconnect it with its owner. They are implanted under the pet’s skin, between the shoulder blades, using a hypodermic needle.
Santa Cruz Veterinarian Dr. Liz Devitt, who has microchipped her own pets, explains how the process works. “When a chipped animal is scanned, the reader shows a number that can be called into the chip manufacturer and matched to the name, address, and phone number of the owner,” she says. “When someone brings me a stray animal, I can scan them, find the chip and number, call the appropriate company, locate the owner, and reunite the lost pet with the owner.”
Devitt believes that all pets should be chipped—even indoor cats. “They're the ones who are the worst at fending for themselves outside their warm home,” she says.
One of the biggest mistakes Devitt sees among pet owners, beside not microchipping their pet at all, is not registering their animal once they have the chip implanted. If an animal has a microchip but the owner fails to register it with the microchip company, the chip is useless. The pet cannot be identified. “I currently share my life with a great cat that was found astray—and microchipped—but I couldn't trace the owner, who never bothered to register with the microchip company,” Devitt says. “A microchip can't guarantee the safe return of a pet. A collar, tags, and recent photos are still important ID to locate a lost pet.”
It is generally known that microchips can be beneficial in keeping a pet safe, but even so, some pet owners are hesitant. They wonder if the chips are safe for their animal and if there are any side effects. Devitt says that implanting a microchip is no more painful than a routine shot. Although it has been reported that microchips can migrate away from the injection site, Devitt says this problem is rare.
“I personally have only found chips as far away as the upper forearm,” she says.
Other complaints include infection or swelling at the injection site, but Devitt says she has not encountered these issues.
Microchipping is also affordable. Most local animal hospitals and veterinary clinics charge less than $100 for the service, and this often includes the fee for registering the microchip. Microchipping animals is becoming standard practice at many local animal shelters, so if you adopt an animal from the Humane Society or SPCA, be sure to ask the shelter if your new pet is already chipped and registered.
Local Microchipping Resources:
Bascom Animal Hospital
$74, includes microchip registration fee
2175 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell
408.371.5630
Banfield, the Pet Hospital
$30, includes registration fee
607 Coleman Ave., San Jose
800.768.8858
Mayfair Veterinary Hospital
$45, plus $15 for microchip registration
2810 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose
408.258.2735
Lawrence Pet Hospital
$86, includes registration fee
771 Lawrence Expressway, Santa Clara
408.296.3300
VCA Animal Hospital (Almaden Valley)
$30, includes registration fee
15790 Almaden Expressway, San Jose
408.268.3550
Kindness Pet Hospital
$44.30, includes registration fee
440 1st St., Los Altos
650.948.828
