Microchips: Technology That Keeps Families Together
What is a microchip, exactly?
As a means of identification, a microchip is a very small device, implanted underneath the skin between the shoulder blades and uses passive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology.
The microchip (pictured, with a quarter for scale) is a standard internal microchip found in cats, dogs, and some other animals depending on where they are from. External microchips like ear tags found on animals who live on farms use the same technology. A quick external search using a scanning device will tell us if there is a microchip present and if so, its ID number. When animals enter the shelters or veterinary hospitals with microchips, this is how we identify and contact the lost animal's family.
Microchips do not use GPS technology and therefore cannot be tracked in real-time.
Keeping your microchip contact information up to date is critical in the event the unthinkable happens; your pet goes missing. Visit the AAHA microchip database and start with your pet’s microchip number to locate the company it’s registered to. From there, you can contact that company to update a phone number, change in ownership, or an address.
Microchips are useful pieces of technology that help keep people and pets together and have been the reason for reuniting countless families.