To some, implanting microchips in pets for identification has a decidedly James Bond-ish appeal. But hundreds of thousands of pet owners are asking their veterinarians to implant microchips in their furry or feathery friends. What’s the advantage? If your pet gets lost, a handheld scanner – like the ones used at store checkout counters – can read the identification information in the chip and help reunite you with your buddy. The chip is the size and shape of a grain of rice. Veterinarians say these tiny chips are safe, and they dramatically increase the chances of finding lost pets.

Microchips Help Make Quick IDs

Veterinarian Dr. Richard Seader of Rockville, N.Y., began injecting microchips into his patients two years ago. "It’s a very good idea," he says. "If a pet gets lost, now she can be identified at the pound if she has the microchip. If there’s no ID, she could stay there for five days and then get put to sleep, depending on how crowded the shelter is."

Indeed, says Dr. Jim Rummel, a veterinarian in Edinboro, Pa., the leading cause of death among pets is not disease, parasites or being injured – it's the euthanasia of lost pets who cannot be identified.

At first, it was just farmers who used the chips to help keep track of their livestock. They used an earlier, larger version of the chip, which usually was tagged onto the animal's ear. During the past few years, researchers have come up with smaller chips that are suitable for internal implantation, and pet owners have started lining up.

Today, more than a million pets are registered with either the American Kennel Club’s Companion Animal Recovery system (which uses the HomeAgain system) or American Veterinary Identification Devices. And more than 150,000 lost pets have been reunited with their owners through these systems.

The microchip has the advantage of permanence; collar and tags can be lost or removed. Some owners have tattooed their address or phone number, but this procedure takes longer and is more painful to your pet. In addition, if you move or change your phone number, the identification is useless.

How the Chips Work

The silicon chips can be inserted in almost any animal, including cats, dogs, horses, reptiles, birds and small mammals. The chip, which stores a numeric ID code, is fastened to a miniature antenna that transmits the radio signal containing the code. The silicon chip and antenna sit inside a tiny, hermetically sealed glass container.

The chips, technically called transponders, are injected between the shoulder blades through a needle. For birds, the chip is injected under the wing. The procedure, which takes less than 10 seconds, hurts about as much as a regular injection.

The chips are designed to stay just under the skin. They cannot move into the bloodstream or pass through the digestive tract. "It can’t get absorbed," Dr. Seader says. "It just stays around the shoulder blade area."

The electronic code corresponds to your contact information within a database. Unlike a tattoo, your contact information can be updated within the database if you move or change phone numbers (the chip does not have to be touched). It’s a good idea to check your contact information annually to make sure it is accurate and up to date. In addition, you should have your veterinarian or a shelter test the microchip periodically.

You should be aware that many chips are automatically registered to a shelter or animal hospital. This means the shelter or hospital will be contacted first, and they in turn contact you.

To bypass this, you need to register your information personally with HomeAgain or AVID. Otherwise, if your the pet is found on a weekend, you may not know until Monday that she is safe. Many owners have spent anxiety-ridden weekends searching for a pet because no one was able to contact them directly when the pet was found.

Be sure to ask your veterinarian or shelter volunteer how to register your personal information with the chip’s recovery system.

No Side Effects

So far, there have been no side effects to the procedure. The microchips don’t have batteries that run out, or any other kind of internal power source for that matter, so you never need to replace parts. In fact, they're made to last longer than the pet's lifetime.

Most shelters, rescue organizations and veterinary hospitals have scanners. Many have a variety of scanners that correspond with the various microchip brands. Using a radio signal, the scanner can read the information on the chip in less than a second. The animal and the scanner must be in the same room – not like "Wild Kingdom," where animals are tracked at great distances. Staffers at the shelter can then get in touch with the pet owner or the veterinarian.

There are billions of possible codes, so it’s safe to say the chances are nil that you'll be reunited with someone else’s pet. Chips also are becoming popular in other countries. To help stem the huge stray dog population in Thailand, the government there recently launched a campaign to encourage dog owners to implant their four-footed buddies with the chips. And in Hong Kong, it is mandatory to have your dog microchipped.

Various Microchip Companies

In the United States, there are currently two active suppliers of microchips. American Veterinary Identification Devices (AVID®) and HomeAgain®. Each has unique codes and different databases. The HomeAgain® brand is supported by the American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery. AVID is supported by its own database. Each is readily accessible.

AVID

To date, AVID has sold several million microchips. According to a spokesperson, a pet is reunited with their owner every 32 minutes. Currently, over 142, 000 lost pets have been returned home. For more information on AVID microchips, visit them at www.avidid.com or call 1-800-336-AVID.

HomeAgain

To date, HomeAgain has sold over 500,000 microchips and over 34,000 pets have been reunited with their owners. For more information on HomeAgain microchips, visit them at www.akc.org and click on Companion Animal Recovery or call 1-800-2FIND-PET.

A. If it does hurt, it will be very little, no more than getting his annual vaccines.

Q. How easy is it for owners to change the information if they move?

A. A simple phone to the company that manufactures the chips will get the job done, and there is even an online form you can fill out on the Canadian site.

Q. Will the microchip stay in place?

A. There has been cases of it migrating, but it is not a very common occurrence. Most places run the scanners over the entire animal just in case.

Q.Where can I get my pet microchipped?

A.You can have this procedure done at any veterinarian's office, some humane societies will do it, and even some breeders will have it done before you receive your new puppy.

Q. How will the person who finds my dog know that he has a microchip?

A. Your dog will have a collar tag with the 1-800 number to call on it.

Q. What kind of information will my dog's microchip have access to?

A. Whatever you choose to fill out on the initial form. Most times this is your dog's name, your name and phone number, address, and an emergency contact.