Should You Microchip Your Pet?

Your pet is an important part of the family, a beloved member.  For other pet owners, a dog or cat represents an emotional or financial investment, as well as a friend.  Lost pets can bring heartbreak and sorrow to the whole family – a problem that had few solutions until recently. 

Today, you can microchip your pets and provide the finder of a lost pet with a foolproof method of finding out who the animal really belongs to.  However, there are a few pros and cons to consider before you place a microchip in your pet.  You need to look at the whole picture before you decide, either way.

First, let’s look at the cons.  One negative aspect is that the process can be expensive, starting at $80.  Another drawback to inserting a microchip into your pet is the fact that if you have to part with your pet in future, your personal details will be stored in your pet and the microchip is so small if cannot usually be located and removed.  This may lead to people calling you in future if your dog or cat’s new owners lose the pet!

Yet another con is the fact that you will have to take your pet to the vet‘s office about once every year to ensure that the chip is still functioning.  If the chip fails, then it will not be effective in protecting your pet.

The positives to using a chip to protect your pet is that these codes can be universally read at vet or animal control offices all around the country.  This means that if your pet gets out of the yard, you can have hope of finding it once again.

Similar benefits can be found by putting a simple tag on your dog’s collar, which is much less expensive.  However, if your pet is stolen and has its collar removed, or if it loses its collar before being found, you are back to where you started. 

Microchipping your pet is the only true solution to proving ownership of your pet if he or she goes astray.  Rather than offering reward money in future when your beloved cat or dog gets lost, take that money right now and microchip your pet to save yourself a heap of cash… and a whole lot of sadness and stress.