More evidence on how well microchips work in saving dogs

November 8, 10:03 AMDetroit Dogs ExaminerRev. Claudia Barber

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Detroit Dogs Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Keep your best friend safe in case he or she gets lost.

Check out this great video about a dog returned to his owner after ten years — all because of a microchip the dog had! Microchips have been responsible for saving many dogs around the country. So why not have your dog microchipped? It’s a safe, easy process and only takes a minute to complete. And there are lots of low cost microchipping events around the city. Just check out my weekly Coming Events articles to find one near you.

For those of you who don’t know, a microchip is a tiny transponder, a permanent radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip, implanted under the dog’s skin and read by a chip scanner or wand. The average microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. If a dog is lost, a shelter or vet can pass a scanner over the dog and read the information on the chip to find the pet’s owner.

The process is simple, the microchip is implanted with an injector that places the chip under the loose skin over the dog’s shoulder. Microchips are designed to last the lifetime of a pet — a chip typically lasts at least 25 years. Chips do not need replacing. Once the microchip is implanted, it will remain there and active for the life of the pet.

Of course, it’s always best to make sure your pet also has ID tags attached to his or her collar (and even a tattoo) as well as the microchip. Better safe than sorry.