Microchip Identification for Dogs

Microchips are transponders that use radio frequency waves to transmit information about a pet, according to the Humane Society of the United States. A microchip is approximately the size of a grain of rice. A microchip contains a registration number and a phone number linking to the microchip brand's registry. Animal shelters and veterinarians can read pets' microchips by using a handheld scanner and find out information regarding their owners.

  1. Types

    • There is no one type of microchip. There are different manufacturers of microchips, and each company uses a different frequency to send a signal to the scanner, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Each company has different scanners that only read microchips manufactured by that same company. Recently, companies have produces universal scanners to avoid this problem.

    Placement

    • Veterinarians and animal shelters place microchips under the dog's skin using an injector. This injector places the chip under the loose skin, above the dog's shoulder, dog trainer Norma Bennett Woolf says in the Dog Owner's Guide. While microchips occasionally move out of place making them easily lost by a scanner, this is rare.

    Considerations

    • After implantation of the microchip, it is necessary to register your dog with the microchip company, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Most chips come with paperwork. Filling this in and sending it back to the microchip company's registry ensures your dog's information is available should it go missing. Depending on the microchip company, you might have to pay a one-time fee or an annual fee.

    Benefits

    • Microchipping a dog is a quick procedure similar to a vaccination, Bennett Woolf says. Each microchip has a unique number to keep each dog's information separate. Microchip scanners can read microchips easily, and the owner's name and contact information is readily available. The main benefit of a microchip is that if your dog gets loose, there is more chance of a shelter finding and reuniting you.

    Theories/Speculation

    • In 2004, a microchipped dog developed a sarcoma tumor in the skin above its shoulder. Attached to the tumor was the dog's microchip. This sparked controversy about whether or not microchips cause cancer. Reports show that microchips cause malignant, fast-growing, lethal cancers in 1 to 10 percent of laboratory rats and mice, according to the Pet Place website. While no proof exists that microchips cause cancer in dogs, this is a relatively new technology which has had few extensive tests on long-term effects.