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Microchipping Uses & Benefits |
A microchip implant is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of a dog, cat, or other animal. The chips are about the size of a large grain of rice and are based on a passive RFID technology. Microchips are a reasonably safe, affordable and extremely useful tool that helps in the return of lost or stolen pets. They are particularly helpful in states, such as Florida, where residents are subject to evacuations during hurricanes and floods, and the risk of losing track of your pet is greatest. In dogs and cats, chips are usually inserted below the skin at the back of the neck, between the shoulder blades on the dorsal midline. Continental European pets may be an exception; they get the implant in the left side of the neck, according to one reference. The chip can often be manually detected by the owner by gently feeling the skin in that area. It stays in place as thin layers of connective tissue form around the biocompatible glass which encases it. Animal shelters and animal control centers benefit from using microchip identification products by more quickly and efficiently being able to return pets to their owners. If your pet is lost or stolen, and is found by local authorities or taken to a shelter, it is scanned during intake to see if a chip exists. If one is detected, authorities call the recovery service and provide them the ID number, the pet's description, and the location of the animal. The recovery service notifies the owner that the pet has been found, and where to go to recover the animal. Animal control officers are also trained and equipped to scan animals. Several
countries require a microchip when importing an animal, as a proof that the animal
and the vaccination record belong together.
A decade long study found that microchip implants have been found to increase risk of cancer in laboratory mice and rats. However, noted veterinary associations responded with continued support for the procedure as reasonably safe for cats and dogs, pointing to rates of serious complications on the order of one in a million in the U.K., which supposedly has a system for tracking such adverse reactions and has chipped over half its population of pet dogs.
The professionals at Blitchton Road Animal Hospital perform this procedure on a routine basis. When your animal is brought in for care, we will also perform test scans on the microchip to ensure it still performs properly. Contact
us today for more information. | ||||||||
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Foolproof Pet Identification |
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Components of a Microchip |
Microchips are passive, or inert, RFID devices and contain no internal power source. They are designed so that they do not act until acted upon.
Three basic elements comprise most microchips: A silicon chip (integrated circuit); a coil inductor, or a core of ferrite wrapped in copper wire; and a capacitor. The silicon chip contains the identification number, plus electronic circuits to relay that information to the scanner. The inductor acts as a radio antenna, ready to receive electrical power from the scanner. The capacitor and inductor act as a tuner, forming an LC circuit. The scanner presents an inductive field that excites the coil and charges the capacitor, which in turn energizes and powers the IC. The IC then transmits the data via the coil to the scanner.
These components are encased in a special biocompatible glass made from soda lime, and hermetically sealed to prevent any moisture or fluid entering the unit. Barring rare complications, dogs and cats are not affected physically or behaviorally by the presence of a chip in their bodies.
10397 N US Hwy 27 (Just 8 miles west of I-75) Ocala, Fl. 34482