An Act of Love: Why Microchipping Your Pet Matters
Pets wear snazzy collars as a way to highlight their style and personality, but they’re useful, too. Not only necessary for their leash, but collars show proof of license, rabies vaccination, and ownership. Despite their obvious utility, collars can be removed on purpose or fall off accidentally. As a result, pets need an added layer of security in case they get lost or go missing. Microchipping your pet is an incredible act of love that never stops working to prevent permanent loss.
All It Takes
One small moment can change a pet owner’s life forever. Whether you lose a grip on the leash at the park or your pet nudges their way out through a cracked front door, their fate could become sealed in a short time. In addition to simply roaming around without a clear way to return home, pets can get stolen by strangers, re-adopted, or seriously injured.
The Little Things
Microchipping your pet is a type of insurance against permanent loss. Not a substitute for their ID tag and collar, microchips add another layer of protection. We include microchipping as part of our puppy and kitten wellness plans.
About the size of a grain of rice and enclosed in biocompatible glass, microchips are implanted between the shoulder blades. They do not track location or transmit data of any kind. Instead, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology stores a unique identification number. When a handheld scanning device is placed over the area, an LED screen on the scanner will display the chip’s number.
Animal shelters and many animal hospitals have these scanners and use them all the time to either look for the existence of a chip or read its number.
Does It Hurt?
The mechanism to implant the chip is similar to a routine vaccination, and can be done at your pet’s next wellness exam. Sometimes we can microchip pets during a surgical procedure, like a spay/neuter or dental cleaning. Perceived as a valuable, yet low-cost, preventive measure, microchipping your pet is an essential component of responsible ownership.
Other Key Points
Once a pet’s unique identification number is keyed into a national database, their owner’s name and contact information will be revealed. However, this step is not automatic. It is up to the individual pet owner to register their pet’s microchip with the manufacturer and update any information if it ever changes. Without this crucial step, microchips are ineffective at facilitating a safe return home. A shocking number of microchips are never registered or updated every year.
Together Forever
Your pet is an integral part of the family. They deserve to have a chance to get home safely if they ever get lost or go missing. Microchipping your pet is a part of a great defense against permanent separation.
When pets are picked up by animal control or brought to shelters by well-meaning civilians, only a small percentage of them ever return to their original home. With millions of pets entering the shelter system every year, be sure that your pet can be returned to you by way of their microchip.
Microchipping Your Pet
This process is fast, easy, relatively, cheap, and totally worth the peace of mind. If you have any questions about microchipping your pet, please give us a call at (209) 527‑5855. Veterinary Medical Associates is always happy to help you!
Paws and Prevention: Preparing Pets For Summer Months
Humans have a strong knee jerk reaction to discomfort, and that is to do whatever it takes to neutralize the source. Pets, on the other hand, don’t have the same luxury. While they do have certain biological adaptations that help them cope with stressors, such as panting to regulate internal body temperature, they aren’t totally equipped to reduce their risks in the heat. Preparing pets for summer months is an important task, and we’re here to help all pets stay safe.
Continue…Ways to Keep Your Pet Safe
Heatstroke is a real risk to pet safety during the summer months, but it isn’t the only threat. Many pets get lost or go missing in the days surrounding the Fourth of July. The reasons for this include noise anxiety and insecure fencing, but there’s more to this preventable situation. Pet owners can promote pet health and wellness with our tips to keep your pet safe.
Continue…Summer Fun With Your Pet
Summer is here, and with it comes plenty of opportunities for fun in the sun (and shade!) for you and your pet. At Veterinary Medical Associates, we want you to have a safe, fun-filled summer with your furry sidekick. Keep reading for summer activities for you and your pet.
Continue…Things That Go Boom in the Night
The Fourth of July is upon us! Yes, I know it is still June, but it seems that the Fourth starts the last week in June and extends into the second week of July nowadays. Certainly, that is the case with the use of exploding fireworks. Unfortunately, these explosions can be very stressful for our companions, especially our canine companions.
The stress caused by exploding fireworks can lead to true anxiety attacks in some of our dogs and, in some cases, can result in tragedy as these dogs will escape in panic and be hit by cars. I have seen cases where dogs have chewed off doorknobs trying to get indoors, at times breaking off multiple teeth. I think you get the picture. It’s truly heartbreaking.
How can I help my dog with firework anxiety?
Those of you who have dogs like this are aware these companions need help to avoid these anxiety-provoking incidents and this is where we as veterinarians can help. There are anti-anxiety medications that can help these dogs cope with their condition. There are also tranquilizers that can be used as well. Your veterinarian can help you make the proper choice for your dog.
Microchip your Companion
Also, this is an excellent time to make sure your companion is microchipped and that your contact information is up to date on the database. Your veterinarian should also be able to help you with this. Microchipping is an excellent way to help reunite lost companions and their people.
Here’s to a safe Fourth of July two weeks for you and your companions!!