Microchipping is recognised as the most effective and secure way of permanently identifying your dog should he become lost or stolen. It is an inexpensive form of ID that cannot be lost. It is very important to make sure that your pet has some form of identity on him, and this was usually in the form of a tag fixed to his collar. Unfortunately these do tend to fall off. Microchipping ensures that your dog has a good chance of being returned to you if he strays or is stolen by those disgusting people who do such things, often destroying the lives of an entire family with the pain and trauma caused by such a sudden disappearance of their beloved dog.

A microchip is a tiny metal chip encased in a surgical glass case about the size of a grain of rice. The glass is inert and cannot dissolve, corrode or harm living tissue. The chip holds a ten digit number and nothing else. It is a transponder but can only transmit for a few inches. If a wand, hand held scanner is passed over the chip it will display the number on a screen. The number is logged on a database, and against this number is stored your details. The microchip is a passive device, meaning it does not need batteries and is inactive until scanned.

A vet or a veterinary technician injects the chip under the loose skin on the dogs back, usually between the shoulder blades or back of the neck. The chip comes in a sterile pack, which includes the needle, the chip, and some self-stick paper copies of the number and the barcode. The pack will also contain a tag for you to attach to the dogs collar to say he has been chipped. It does not matter if this gets lost as most animal wardens check each dog for a chip. There is also an enrolment form with the pack so that the owner can fill it in and send it off in a preaddressed envelope to the national registration office.

Owners are often concerned that their animal will suffer a lot of pain during the chipping process. The needle is large and no anaesthetic is administered so it is not a completely painless procedure. Some dogs will yelp or cry at the injection but many do not even seem to notice it. The discomfort only lasts a few seconds before the dog is given a treat and comforted. However some dogs may find the procedure an ordeal, being taken to a strange place and feeling the sting can be traumatic. If you suspect that your pet is going to be too traumatised, a sedative, or an herbal remedy can be given a couple of hours before going to the vet. The microchip does not move around, or get lost in the dogs body. Millions of dogs have been microchipped without any adverse reactions. It is a one off procedure as the microchip lasts a lifetime. The procedure is not at all expensive.

If your dog does get lost or stolen, and is recovered by an animal warden, the police, or by a rescue shelter, he will quickly be identified and returned to you. Most vets carry scanning equipment as do most commercial kennels. This means there are a whole army of people to see that your dog is quickly reunited with you. The loss of a dog can be devastating for the whole family so it is up to you to ensure that your friend has the best possible identification with which he can be returned to you.