If your dog ever gets lost or escapes your garden, a microchip may help you reunite with your beloved pet. This is because dog microchipping is a permanent ID system, which involves a chip, no bigger than a grain of rice being implanted under the skin of your pet’s scruff.
Each individual microchip has a unique number, which can be read by a portable scanner, which most vets, including Crofts Veterinary Practice, local authorities and rescue homes have access to, which ensures that your contact details can be obtained from the central microchipping database with ease. Once your pet has been scanned and identified by their microchip, a simple phone call can reunite you with your pet.
Microchipping is not only for dogs, but also for cats, ferrets, rabbits, snakes, parrot, tortoises and horses and is highly recommended by the team at Crofts Veterinary Practice. Plus, it's now a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped, and all puppies must be vaccinated by 8 weeks of age before ownership is transferred from the breeder. You can be fined up to £500.00 if your dog is not microchipped. It is also worth noting, that if you are planning on taking your pet abroad, they must be microchipped and have a pet passport.
Microchipping for Dogs
As the procedure for microchip implantation causes minimal discomfort, sedation is not necessary for the implantation and it can be done in a routine consultation. If you can't remember or don't know if your pet is microchipped your vet can check for a working microchip using a scanner. A member of the team at Crofts Veterinary Practice can arrange to scan your pet and check for a working chip. Don't worry - we will always check that your dog hasn’t already got a microchip before implanting a new one.
On the day of your dog microchipping appointment, you will be asked to complete a registration form, from which your details are then submitted to a national database by a Crofts Vets team member. Your details are kept on the online database for your pet’s lifetime, and this service is included in the cost of implantation.
It is important to update any changes to your contact details as soon as possible. At Crofts Veterinary Practice, each of our microchips comply with the International Standard (ISO) and so can be recognised by international scanners when abroad and used in the Pet Passport scheme.
For further information, you can speak to one of our friendly team members at our practice by getting in touch or booking an appointment today.
