The statistics are sobering: only 17% of lost dogs and 2% of lost cats ever get back home. Here at Woodbridge Animal Hospital, we can help protect your pet with microchipping.
This year, on August 15, we are celebrating National Check the Chip Day (National Microchip Day) along with the AAHA and the AVMA. We actually inject microchips into pets every day of the year, but this month we especially want to spread the awareness even further and help more lost pets find their way back home by explaining the many benefits of microchipping your pet.
Why Have Your Pet Microchipped?
Pet microchips are an important way to help ensure your pet makes it home if he or she wanders. Unlike a collar and tags (which we still advocate because they can be read by anyone on the street), a microchip cannot get lost or worn down to the point of illegible. It stays with your pet for life; it is designed to keep transmitting a signal well beyond any pet’s normal lifespan (25+ years). Give your pet two layers of security: a current, legible, secure collar and tags and a microchip.
How are Pets Microchipped?
Having a pet microchipped is a simple, outpatient procedure similar to a regular vaccination. We inject the tiny microchip into your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. Once there, it bonds with your pet’s tissues so that it generally stays very close to the insertion point. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and it is encased in an inert, hypoallergenic, bio-friendly glass. We have never had any cases of an allergic reaction after microchipping a pet. We very often inject microchips during spay or neuter surgeries while they are under anesthesia (because the needle is a little bigger) just to make the process easier on your pet.
Find out what's happening in Lake Ridge-Occoquanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
What Happens if My Pet Gets Lost?
The majority of shelters, animal hospitals and veterinary clinics now have microchip scanning equipment. So if your pet gets lost and is then found by someone, that person can take your pet to one of these locations and they will run a wand across your pet’s back. The wand will read the code on the chip and your registry information will come up on the computer so that you can be contacted and your pet can be returned to you! Why wait another minute to have your pet microchipped?
National Pet Microchipping Day Question: Is Your Pet Microchipped Already?
If you aren’t sure about the answer, bring your pet in to Woodbridge Animal Hospital so we can scan him or her. If you are adopting a new pet, we will discuss microchipping with you during the first pet wellness appointment. The next question is just as important:
Find out what's happening in Lake Ridge-Occoquanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Anytime you move or go on an extended absence with your pet, you should call and update your contact information with the microchip registry. When you have your pet microchipped, we can give you the information to do this. This is just as important as having your pet microchipped in the first place because the microchip is only as good as the contact information listed with it.
National Microchip Day is August 15
But you don’t have to wait until then (or worry that the day has passed) to take care of your pet’s microchipping needs! Just call us at Woodbridge Animal Hospital today at 703-897-5665 for an appointment!