Microchipping

Dog or cat collars are incredibly useful but unfortunately, they can fall off. In addition, the info embedded on them can wear off over time. For this reason, we recommend pets are also microchipped so they have a permanent identification device at all times. This will increase your chances of being reunited with your pet if they ever get lost. Call us at 613-695-2060 to learn more about how microchipping can benefit your pet.

Do microchips show a pet’s location?

No. They are not like a GPS. Instead, your pet’s vital information (e.g., allergies, medical condition, birthday) and your contact information are embedded in the chip. If your pet gets lost, the veterinary team or rescue shelter that finds them can scan the chip, send the scan to the manufacturer, and then the manufacturer can send your contact info back to the team so they can reach out to you.

Do microchips last for life?

Yes. Microchips are designed to last inside your pet for the remainder of their lives. That being said, there are very rare cases where the microchip becomes defective or moves to another part of your pet’s body. For this reason, we recommend taking your pet to our hospital every few years to check if their microchip is still in working order. It’s also important to let us know if your contact info has changed so we can update what is encoded in your pet’s chip.

Do pets need to be sedated when they are being microchipped?

No. We usually do not sedate pets for microchipping because it is so well-tolerated. The chip is the size of one grain of rice. We make a very small incision in the skin to insert the device. The entire procedure takes a few minutes and feels like a vaccination injection.