Microchipping is a permanent ID system, which involves a chip, no bigger than a grain of rice being implanted under the skin of your pet’s scruff.
Each microchip has a unique number, which can be read by a portable scanner, which most vets, including all Blacks Vets branches, local authorities and rescue homes have access too; ensuring your contact details can be easily obtained from the central microchipping database. Once your pet has been scanned and identified by their microchip, a simple phone call can reunite you with your pet.
Since April 2016 all dogs MUST be Microchipped AND correctly registered BY LAW
- Microchipped but not sure if your details are correct? Check www.petlog.org.uk or call Petlog on 01296 336579
- Not yet Microchipped?…Although the law only applies to dogs, we are extending our support to cats and rabbits too – we know how it feels to lose a pet and we want to help
Microchipping is not only for dogs, but also for cats, ferrets, rabbits, snakes, parrot, tortoises and horses and comes highly recommended by all the team at Blacks Vets. It is now also a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped, and all puppies must be vaccinated by 8 weeks of age before ownership is transferred from the breeder. You can be fined up to £500.00 if your dog is not microchipped. It is also worth noting, that if you are planning on taking your pet abroad, they must be microchipped and have a pet passport.
It is very common for injured cats and dogs that have not managed to make their way home to be brought into one of our surgeries by good Samaritans. Unless they are microchipped and registration details are up to date it can be very difficult to reunite them with their owners who are undoubtedly very upset to have lost them.
Microchipping your pet at Blacks Vets
Sedation is not necessary for the implantation of the microchip as this procedure causes minimal discomfort and can be done in a routine consultation. And don’t worry if you can’t recall (or know) if your pet is microchipped – It is very easy to check for a microchip using a scanner. We can arrange for a member of the team at one of our Blacks Vets branches to scan your pet and check for a working chip. Rest assured, we all always check that an animal hasn’t already got a microchip before implanting a new one.
At the time of implant, you will be asked to complete a registration form, from which your details are then submitted to a national database by a Blacks Vets team member. Your details are kept on the database for your pet’s lifetime, and the fee for this is included in the cost of implantation.
It is important to update any changes to your contact details as soon as possible. At Blacks Vets, all our microchips comply with the International Standard (ISO) and can, therefore, be recognised by scanners abroad when used in the Pet Passport scheme.
For more information, please speak to one of our friendly team members at one of our practices by contacting us below.
