A Chip Off The Old Block. –by Dr. Timothy Hodge
Microchips save lives. There, I’ve boldly said it. Microchip insertions for pets have been a game changer in the lost and found department of pet care and shelter medicine. Without them, the number of lost pets never returned to their loving families would be shattering. So, as Joe Friday used to say, “Just the facts Ma’am.”
What is a microchip? A microchip is a small transmitter about the size of a grain of rice. The chip itself is encapsulated in a bio- compatible polymer that doesn’t cause a body or immune system reaction. Microchips have no battery and thus will not fail as time passes. They have no active, moving or working parts that can break or have the need to be replaced. Microchipping has been around for over 20 years and has a proven efficacy and safety record. How are microchips implanted?
Basically, a shot with a big needle. Microchips come in sterile, individualized packages. In this package, there is usually a microchip tag with the name and code in a typed format for home records. Based on the species of the animal being microchipped, there are standardized locations of placement. Dogs (and cats) have their microchip injected under the skin between the shoulder blades. A common misconception is that surgery is needed to place a microchip. This is false. A microchip can be placed in a matter of seconds. Does the implantation hurt? The discomfort associated
with placement of a microchip is about the same as that of get- ting an injection for vaccinations. The needle is a little larger, but the injections happen so quickly, that many pets don’t seem to notice. Many microchips are placed when pets are under anesthe- sia for their spay procedure, neuter, or dental treatments. How does the microchip work? When a microchip scanner
is passed over the region of the body where the implant resides, a signal is emitted indicating the unique identification number of the chip. This is read on a view screen on the scanner. What information is on the microchip?The only infor-
mation on the microchip is the unique identification number that is encoded. No personal information about the pet or the owner is on the microchip. The microchip information is similar to that of a vehicle identification number (VIN number). H o w does the microchip information become registered? It is very important that you register your microchip information. Simply having the chip implanted will not bring your pet home. If a microchip is unregistered, the manufacturer can track the microchip to the facility (animal hospital, shelter) that they sold it to, but unless that facility has records of each of their microchip numbers, you are out of luck. Many animal hospitals will register the information for you.
64 THE NEW BARKER
Other animal hospitals or facilities will give you the paperwork that you can fill out and mail in. Some microchip manufacturers allow you to complete the registration online. No matter the means, register. Do microchips cause
cancer? No, Microchips do not cause cancer. There have been numerous studies that prove that microchips do not cause cancer. Since the material that coats the microchip is a biocompatible ele- ment, the body’s immune system doesn’t even know it is there. Can a microchip be
used to locate a lost pet? No, a microchip is not a location device. GPS systems are small enough to fit
on a dog’s collar, but still too large to be made inside a microchip. A lost pet is generally scanned at a veterinary hospital, shelter or rescue organization. Once scanned, this number can then be checked with the manufacturer’s registration database or in a data- base run by the American Animal Hospital Association at
www.petmicrochiplookup.org. It is the database that holds the owner’s contact information. How often do Microchips need to be registered?Once
the Microchip is registered, that registration is permanent. The problem however, is that people move and their contact informa- tion changes, but the registration is never updated. So, always remember that if you move, change your phone numbers or other registration information, contact the manufacturer to update their database as well. If the registrar allows for secondary contact infor- mation, try to provide a contact person who lives in a different location than yours. If there is a natural disaster and your pet is found and identified, but you cannot be contacted and your sec- ondary contact is your neighbor, who is also affected by the nat- ural disaster, you are again at a loss. However, if you give contact information for someone outside of your living area, the likeli- hood that they can be contacted is greater. We learned a lot of this the hard way from hurricane Katrina. Be a life saver. Microchip your pet today.
U
Dr. Hodge (HarbourSide Animal Hospital, Downtown Tampa and Cross Creek Animal Medical Center, North Tampa) has special interest in internal medicine, dermatology, and holistic care. He may be reached at 813.229.3322.
www.TheNewBarker.com
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