What Your Vet Wants You To Know About Microchipping Your Pets

If you've recently added a new pet to your family, your local veterinarian may be recommending that you consider microchipping. For pet owners who have never considered it before, it's easy to dismiss it as unnecessary, especially if your pet wears a collar and is always inside or on a leash. However, being prepared for the unexpected is an important part of pet ownership. Here's a look at some of the things that you need to understand about why your vet highly recommends microchipping.

Tags Aren't Reliable

If you've purchased a collar and identification tag for your pet, you may think that a microchip is completely unnecessary. What you should know, though, is that collars and tags are not as reliable as you might think. After all, tags can easily be lost, or a collar may fall off your pet. With a microchip, that identification tag is always in place, so you can have every confidence that your pet can be identified no matter what.

Even Indoor Pets Get Loose Sometimes

Another common reason why pet owners dismiss microchipping is that they don't believe it's necessary for an indoor pet. Whether you have an indoor cat or a dog that only goes outside on a leash, that's not a guarantee that your pet won't ever get loose. Even indoor pets can sneak out sometimes, either because they are spooked by something and bolt out an accidentally open door or because your dog manages to slip their lead and get free. When your pet is microchipped, you have the confidence that even the unlikely escape artist will be identified and returned home to you.

Microchips Aren't Painful

You might be worried that you'll be causing your pet unnecessary pain by having them microchipped. The truth is that microchipping is typically no more painful than your pet's routine vaccinations, and many vets will even offer the service while your pet is under anesthesia for spay or neuter surgery. If you opt for microchipping during surgery, your pet will never even know it happened.

Microchipping is the best form of identification for any pet, even if they're indoor-only family members. Talk with your veterinarian today about the benefits of microchipping and see if it's the right choice for your pet. Your vet can help you explore the benefits and risks to make an informed decision for each of the pets in your house.

Contact a veterinarian clinic for more information.