Microchipping Your Dog - Dog Owners Guide & Information

Information, Education & Advice - Helping Dogs In Need

Microchipping Your Dog:

If you haven't already had your pet microchipped please read through our guide and find out how a relatively cheap and easy procedure can benefit you and your dog.

Microchipping provides a permanent means of identification for animals and is recommended for your dog.

With thousands of dogs lost or stolen each year, microchipping you dog will increase your chances of identification and reunion should the worst ever happen.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes and of any age, from puppy to golden oldie, can safely be microchipped.

If you want to travel with your dog to an EU country and intend on applying for a pet passport, your dog will need to be microchipped as this is one of the requirements under the PETS Scheme.

Introduced in the early 1990’s the RFID-Radio Frequency Identification transponder known as the microchip is an electronic device which is about the size of a grain of rice (approx.11mm in length).

The tiny device is covered in the same material which human pacemakers are made from, which is why it is not rejected by your dog’s body once properly inserted.

It is implanted under the skin by being injected through a special sterile needle.

No anaesthetic is needed and it is done and over in seconds. It usually causes as much discomfort as a vaccination does.

The site for implantation varies in different groups of animals, in dogs, the chip is usually inserted between the dog’s shoulder blades, which is where it should stay, although they can sometimes move (which is why anyone using a scanner needs to scan the entire body when looking for a microchip if not found in the usual place).

The microchip can be implanted by your vet or someone who has been trained to do so, e.g. a dog warden or rescue worker.

The microchip remains in you dog for life, it doesn’t need any maintenance or replacement.

Once the chip is implanted a special number which comes coded with that chip is registered to the dog; you fill in a registration form, giving owner and pet details, this registration form is posted to the computer database, who will record the details and send you a confirmation/microchip certificate of registration shortly afterwards.

The owners contact details and information about the pet is registered and recorded on a national computer database.

You will usually receive a disc to attach to your dog’s collar stating your dog is ‘microchipped’ and/or’ please scan me’ or similar. This tag does not replace your identification as required by law, it is an addition you can attach to your dog’s collar.

Your dog’s body is scanned by a hand held device which detects the microchip using radio waves, a code is then displayed on the device, this code can be typed into a computer databases to reveal the owners contact information as held on the computer.

Scanners which read microchips are held and used by dog wardens, rescue workers, veterinary surgeons, animal welfare organisations etc

It is important that your contact details are kept up to date on the database throughout your dogs life e.g., PetLog or Identichip - if you move address, change your telephone number etc, you must contact the database so that you record can be updated.

Dog owners, including those who have had their dog microchipped must by law make sure that there dog is wearing a collar with identification inscribed on it or on a disc attached to the collar, this is a legal requirement.

But remember collars and discs can be removed and they can be damaged and/or fall off if the worst should ever happen and you loose your dog, or it is stolen from you.

Some animal charities and local authorities offer reduced chipping or chipping schemes to promote responsible dog ownership.

If your dog is already chipped and you need to contact the database to update the records but don’t know which one your dog is registered with try Petlog first as it’s the largest.