The short answer is no, but it might save your pet’s life and will prove it’s yours.

Most people know that microchipping is important, and in most countries is a legal requirement, so if your pet goes missing and is picked up by someone else as a likely stray, he or she can be scanned to see if they have official ownership by someone.

Microchipping dogs and cats as a means of permanent identification has become a common aspect of veterinary care. However, other animals can be chipped too - rabbits, ferrets, tortoises, birds, horses and other livestock - even snakes. Pretty much any pet that you hold dear to your heart or your livelihood can be microchipped, and can mean the difference between a joyful reunion and always wondering where your animal best friend went.

What is a microchip?


I have always had my pets microchipped, but never really knew what was involved. The microchip itself is tiny – about the size of a grain of rice – and is a small electronic chip enclosed in a tiny cylinder, made by building up layers of interconnected patterns on a silicon wafer. The microchip manufacturing process involves hundreds of steps and can take up to four months from design to mass production.

How much information is on a microchip?


Actually, not a lot, but what it does contain is an important unique registration number and the phone number of the registry for that particular brand of chip. A handheld scanner reads the radio frequency of the chip and displays this information. An animal shelter or vet that finds your pet can contact the registry to get your name and phone number, which was collected from you when you first had him or her chipped.

How is the microchip inserted, and can it get lost?


Microchips are implanted just under the skin, in the same way an inoculation is given, usually right between the shoulder blades. This is done with a large-bore needle by a vet and doesn't require anesthesia. It cannot fall off or out of the pet, and it is a much better form of identification than tags on collars, that can be lost or left at home, and because the chip is inserted just under the skin, and not into a vein, it is rare that one will move. There’s no reason to worry about it getting stuck.


What if my pet has allergies?


A small number of pets experience irritation at the implantation site, but this usually clears up on its own without a problem. Some pets may have an allergic reaction to the chip, necessitating its removal, but this is extraordinarily rare. Even so, it’s a good idea to tell your vet if your pet has a history of allergies or allergic reactions. There’s no evidence that the microchip causes tumours, but if you notice swelling or unusual growths near the implantation site, talk to your vet.

How about keeping the chip up to date?


A microchip is a simple device. It can’t sync with your phone or track your movements, which means that it won’t do you any good at all if you don’t keep your information up to date. Provide a permanent address and a phone number at which you can be reached, then set a date each year—perhaps your pet’s birthday—to check the microchip information to ensure it’s still accurate – you may have moved, your phone number changed or even the dog ownership might have changed. If your pet travels on holiday with you, they are likely to need a 15-digit ISO compatible microchip, which is the world standard.

A small comment about pet trackers, which are not injected, but worn round the neck of your pet, as a collar or added to a collar. Pet tracker are small devices that typically use a combination of GPS and cellular signals to keep you informed of your pet's whereabouts in real-time, giving you an exact location of your pet through the simple to use of a mobile app - perfect for notorious runners!

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan