Microchipping your dog

28th June 2018

A collar and tag is a great way to identify your dog, but what would happen if your dog were to get lost and lose its collar? There would be no easy way to identify them unless they were microchipped. Unlike a collar and tag, there is no chance of a microchip getting lost, making it a very effective form of pet identification.

Compulsory microchipping

From April 2016, it will be a legal requirement for all dogs in the UK to be microchipped. Compulsory microchipping will not only make it easier to return lost dogs to their owners, but it will be easier to prosecute owners of aggressive dogs and lead to a reduction in dog theft.

Keep intruder animals out

Another benefit is that if you have a small to medium sized dog, they can use a SureFlap Microchip Pet Door. The SureFlap pet door allows your dog to come and go as they please, whilst preventing intruder animals from entering your home. Giving your dog access to a pet door can reduce boredom. It also allows them to exercise more regularly and go to the toilet whenever they need to.

The microchipping procedure

You can get your dog microchipped fairly cheaply by your vet. Using a syringe, a microchip is inserted under the skin between your dog’s shoulder blades. The procedure is very quick and does not require an anaesthetic. If you decide to adopt a dog, it’s likely the animal shelter will have microchipped your dog as part of the adoption process.

Identification for life

A microchip will stay with a dog for its entire life. Your dog’s microchip details will be stored on an online database, which can be accessed by vets and animal shelters all over the country using a handheld scanner. A microchip is the first thing they will check for if a lost dog is taken in.

Moving house? Don’t forget to update the address details associated with your dog’s microchip as soon as you move.