Thousands of pets are lost every year, and it only takes a momentary snag in the wrong place for your pet’s collar to be lost permanently. Lost pets with no collar might never be recovered. At best, your pet might end up with another family; at worst you may simply never find out what happened to your beloved companion. A microchip can help avert this fate. With a microchip, your pet might lose a collar or ID tag but can never lose this identification device under their skin. At Cheyenne Veterinary Wellness & Surgical Center, we have provided residents of Pittsburgh and Brentwood with microchipping services for many years.
What is a Microchip?
A microchip is a small electronic chip that’s enclosed in a glass cylinder about the same size as a grain of rice. The microchip does not have a battery. Radio waves put out by the scanner activate the chip, which responds to a scanner that passes over the area. The chip transmits the identification number to the scanner.
How do we implant a microchip into an animal? Does it require surgery or anesthesia?
We use a large-gauge needle that injects the rice-sized ID chip right under the skin, almost always between your pet’s shoulder. Because the microchip implanting is nonsurgical, your pet will not need a cone to protect them from biting or scratching at it. Any discomfort will be minor and transitory, and our animal clinic will make sure that they’re feeling like their ordinary self before they leave.
What information does the microchip hold?
The microchip in your pet only transmits an ID number. It is not a GPS device and cannot track your pet if it gets lost. We will work with you to make sure that your pet’s information is entered into our database so you can be quickly reunited.
What happens after the shot?
After our veterinarian completes the injection of the microchip, there will be some minor discomfort and a small amount of swelling, which should go away within 72 hours of the procedure. Once the microchip is settled and the swelling subsides, it should be almost impossible to detect the microchip under your pet’s fur and skin.
Pet Microchipping Services in Brentwood and Pittsburgh
Our veterinary specialists can help you be reunited with your pet. Fireworks and distractions can both introduce the possibility of your pet being lost – help give them a chance to be found by microchipping. Call Cheyenne Veterinary Wellness & Surgical Center today at (412) 884-3162 for more information or to schedule an appointment with our veterinarian.
