by Diane Jaramillo

Created on: July 25, 2010

Should all pets have microchips implanted to prevent them from getting lost?  I voted no.  I voted this way for several reasons.

First of all, having a microchip implanted is not going to prevent your pet from getting lost in the first place.  It simply makes it easier to find them, provided that:

they are found, and

whoever finds them takes them to a shelter or veterinarian, and

the shelter or veterinarian has a scanner that is compatible with the type of chip you chose.

Secondly, not all pets are at risk of getting lost.  For example, my college roommates pet goldfish was in absolutely NO danger of wandering off.  Having a microchip implanted in Felix would not only have been a waste of money, but could have been fatal for him.  He wasn't very big to begin with.

Third, you have to be careful how you define 'pet'.  I know people who consider a snake a pet.  I, personally, do not.  If I find a snake on my lawn, I'm far more likely to kill it and ask questions later than I am to take it to the shelter to be scanned, no matter what kind of snake it is.  I also know people who consider tarantulas pets.  I don't know of any vet who would voluntarily inject a microchip (quite large, when you think about it) into something like a tarantula, quite small when it comes to that.  Then there are the people who have pet scorpions.  We just won't go there.

Finally, there is the question of cost versus return on investment.  If you have six barn cats that survive by catching, killing, and eating the mice in the barn, it's probably not cost effective to microchip each one of them, if you could even catch them.  However, if you are living in an apartment and paid six hundred dollars for an English bulldog because you think they're cute, a microchip would probably be a good idea. 

Having a microchip implanted into a pet is not something to be taken lightly.  The needle used to insert the microchip is quite large and the injection itself can be very painful.  Most veterinarians that I have spoken with advise have the microchipping done while the animal is under anesthetic for another procedure, such as surgery or dentistry. 

There are also at least two type to choose from.  It is probably advisable to figure out which type is predominantly used in your area and which one the scanners used by the local veterinarians and animal shelters.  Most scanners now read both type of chip; however, some smaller facilities may not be as up to date as larger ones and have scanners that can read both.

In summary, microchipping all pets is not only unnecessary, but inadvisable.

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