Microchipping – what do you need to know?

by Katharine Nelson

Microchipping – what do you need to know?

A microchip is a very small electronic chip that can be implanted under the skin of your pet. This chip contains a unique number that can be read by a scanner.

This unique number, and the pet owner’s details, are logged on a central database. This means that if the pet ever goes missing or is stolen, they can be scanned by a veterinary surgeon / police office / pet rescue centre and their owner can be contacted easily.

Which pets can be microchipped?

Cats, dogs, and rabbits can all be microchipped easily.

Microchipping is also recommended for tortoises, snakes, lizards, ferrets and birds as long as they have reached a suitable size.

Do pets need sedation to be microchipped?

Dogs, cats and rabbits can usually be microchipped very easily in a routine appointment and no sedation is required. The microchip is injected under the skin in a similar way to giving a vaccination or other injection.

For ferrets, reptiles and birds, it is often necessary to give a light sedation or anaesthetic. These species may require a small amount of tissue glue to seal the skin over the site of the microchip.

Where is the microchip placed?

Cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets are microchipped in the scruff of the neck, between the shoulder blades. Tortoises and lizards have the microchip placed under the skin of the left hindleg. Birds are microchipped in the chest area.

What do owners need to do?

It is a legal requirement that dogs are microchipped by the age of 8 weeks and this should be done by the breeder before a puppy is sold. Cats must be microchipped by the age of 20 weeks. Microchipping is recommended but not compulsory for other species.

It is essential that pet owners ensure they register their details against the microchip number on the central database when the pet is first microchipped or acquired. If any of these details change or the pet is rehomed, the pet owner must ensure that the database is updated accordingly.

Contact your veterinary practice to book an appointment for microchipping to be carried out, or for advice on checking your pet’s microchip or database details.