A Microchip Implant for Dogs

Laws and procedures meant to govern lost animals are not new. For years, purebred owners marked their animals using tattoos, and most states have dog license requirements meant to keep track of dog ownership. But tags are often lost, and the coat of a dog makes finding the tattoo difficult. Implanting microchips into dogs is an attempt at a better solution, though the process is not without its difficulties or detractors.

  1. Identification

    • The microchip is a transponder the size of an uncooked grain of rice, according to the dog owner's guide website. The frequency of the chip is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) and is permanent. The chip is injected under the skin of the dog, either in the shoulder or in the neck, and contains the contact information of the pet owner depending upon the geographic location of the owner.

    Use

    • In order to be effective, the pet owner needs to register with the manufacturer of the microchip after it is inserted. Registration will involve providing contact information to the company which handles the registrations. It will be up to the owners to keep their contact information up-to-date. A chip wand or a chip scanner is used to detect the chip and the corresponding contact information and is used by animal shelters and veterinarians to return pets to their rightful owners.

    Benefits

    • Those in favor of microchip implants primarily cite the number of animals lost each year as a primary motivation for using microchips. Inserting the microchip into your dog reduces the risk that he will be permanently lost because after scanning the chip, you can be contacted and the animal can be returned to you. Other advantages to inserting the microchip include the quickness of the procedure, the relative lack of pain, the fact that the chip will not get lost the way other identification tags do, and the ease of scanning the number.

    Types

    • In the United States, there are two primary types of microchips used in dogs: the HomeAgain and the AVID. AVID markets its own, while Schering-Plough Animal Health markets HomeAgain. HomeAgain chips can be implanted by veterinarians only, while AVID chips can be implanted by anyone. For this reason, many shelters use AVID microchips. Breeders are often given discounts by AVID to have its dogs microchipped in bulk and therefore choose AVID as well. AVID chips can be read by AVID scanners only, which means that a veterinarian or animal shelter who has a HomeAgain scanner cannot read them.

    Concerns

    • Some pet owners have reservations about using microchips on their dogs, according to the Vet Info website. Reasons for their concern are sometimes health-related, as they worry about their dog having a foreign substance inside its body. Other pet owners worry about the cost of the procedure. Owners may receive a financial discount from their vet, however, if the microchip is done during a spaying or neutering session. Another common worry concerns the practicality and durability of a microchip.