Microchipping is the act of injecting a tracker into your pet so that you can find your animal should he or she ever gets lost. Microchipping sounds like a messy surgical process, but this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, no anesthetic is required for routine microchipping. The microchips come in preloaded sterile applicators.

A vet can inject the applicator under the loose skin between your pet's shoulder blades. The process will only take a few seconds. Normally, a pet will react similar to the feeling of getting a shot. Microchips use RFID technology, and don't require a power source. The microchip will last for your pet's entire lifetime, and can help you to locate your pet using a microchip scanner.

Microchips are valuable for pet owners because collar tags may fall off or wear out. A microchip will provide a permanent ID that cannot fall off, be removed, or become impossible to read. If you are planning on getting your animal microchipped, you may concerned about the cost. The average cost for microchipping is about $45 and this includes a registration into the pet recovery database.

Many pets at pet shelters are microchipped when they are discovered. If you are not sure whether or not your pet was microchipped, you should ask your vet at your next visit. Your veterinarian can probably tell you the unique ID number of your pet's microchip and make sure that the animal is registered.

Microchipping your pet may save his or her life. You may be able to locate your animal if he or she every wanders off. Both dogs and cats should be microchipped. Many people are under the impression that only dogs need to be microchipped. Yet studies show that cats that are microchipped are 20 times more likely to be returned to their owner.

When your pet is microchipped, your contact information will be entered into the database. If your pet is taken to a vet clinic or animal shelter after getting lost, the microchip will be scanned and the vet or animal shelter worker will look up the information on your file and contact you about your animal. It is very important that you keep your contact information updated if you hope to get your pet back when you lose the animal.

Animals can be equipped with a microchip as young as five weeks olds. Most shelters will wait until a kitten or puppy is eight weeks old to microchip the animal. The microchips do not use GPS. While they can track an animal's whereabouts when scanned, they are not trackers. You will not be able to log onto a computer and determine where your pet is. Also, the microchip won't do you any good if your contact information is out of date.

Microchips allow you to protect your contact information. When your address and phone number on a collar tag, it is easy for any person to abuse the information. When it is in a microchip, a vet or shelter worker will have to scan the microchip in order to access the information. Most of us don't want to think of the worst case scenario until it happens. You should prepare for the possibility that your explorative pet may wander off. You can use this directory to locate a veterinarian near you that performs microchipping on cats or dogs. This precautionary action may become a lifesaver in the future if you find that your pet has run away. Set up an appointment to microchip your pet today!