Courtesy of Susan Catton, Pickens Animal Rescue
During DOG DAY IN THE PARK, there were also 25 pets that received AVID Microchips, thanks to Pickens Animal Rescue Volunteers working that day. For only $20, Microchipping is the best way to Tag / ID your pets. Having this form of ID can help ensure their safe return to you if they are ever lost. Collars may come off but the Microchip remains in place and can be scanned by any shelter, rescue or Vet. FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF YOUR PET…Please get a Microchip TODAY!
Microchipping For Your Dog’s Safety
Should you microchip your pet? Pickens Animal Rescue says, Absolutely Yes! Microchips are the best way of permanent identification of pets. The chips are considered reliable and an effective way to identify lost pets.
The microchip is a tiny computer chip or transponder about the size of a grain of rice. It stores an identification number and transmits that information through radio waves to the appropriate scanner. Typically, the microchip number contains 10 characters, making available 275 billion separate codes. This makes it highly unlikely that the same identifying code will be used more than once. Rest assured that your pet will have a unique microchip code.
Microchips come pre-loaded in a syringe, and the needle is inserted just under the skin between the shoulder blades where the microchip is implanted. The entire procedure takes less than 10 seconds and is only as painful as a vaccination injection. After injection, the tissue surrounding the microchip reacts to this new substance and forms a casing. This helps prevent migration of the microchip. Since the microchip is made of biocompatible material, rejection is uncommon and infection at the site is very rare.
The microchip scanner is used as a power source for the microchip and is used to receive the message encoded in the chip. The scanner uses electromagnetic energy to empower the chip to transmit its message through radio waves. Universal Scanners are provided to animal control, humane shelters and other rescue organizations in an effort to ensure that every stray pet is scanned and those with chips are reunited with their owners. Veterinarians can also purchase scanners for use in their clinics.
Even if your pet has a microchip and is properly scanned, without an accessible database, this information will not return your pet to you. Each microchip that is sold is registered to the veterinary hospital or shelter that purchased it. It is the responsibility of the veterinary hospital to record your pet’s unique microchip identification number in his health record but you must notify the microchip database company or manufacturer of the chip that is used. You can register your pet in your own name for faster notification when your lost pet has been found. There may be a separate charge for this service. These microchip databases are usually available 24 hours a day and are even accessible via the Internet. But remember, the database, as with computers, is only as good as the data it contains. Annual confirmation of your pet’s microchip information is strongly recommended.
In the United States, there are currently two active suppliers of microchips. American Veternairy Identification Devices (AVID®) and HomeAgain®. Each has unique codes and each support their own databases. Each is readily accessible.
On Saturday, April 18th, 2009, Pickens Animal Rescue participated in the Dog Day in the Park event at Lee Newton Park. They had the AVID Microchips available for $20.00 per pet. The fee included the database registration. To date, AVID® has sold several million microchips. According to a spokesperson, a pet is reunited with his owner every 32 minutes. Currently, over 142, 000 lost pets have been returned home. For more information on AVID® microchips, visit them at www.avidid.com or call 1-800-336-AVID.
PAR has been the primary source of help to animals in Pickens County for over 12 years. They take in hundreds of lost and homeless pets each year. Please help make their job a little easier and have your pet microchipped.
It is recommended that all pets are microchipped. Even those pets that do not venture outside may escape one day.
· Register your pet!!! It is recommended that you pay any additional fee and have your name and telephone number listed with the microchip code.
· It is recommended that you use an identifier on your pets collar indicating that he or she has a microchip and what kind.
· An annual visit to the vet specifically to test the microchip is recommended. Have your veterinarian scan your pet to determine if the chip is still transmitting data.
· Annually confirm your pet’s information with the microchip database and ensure that all contact information including your address, home and cell phone numbers, email address, and pager number, etc are all current. Ask your veterinarian or their staff where the chip is located in your pet. Most chips are injected over the back but they may migrate to the side.
