Labrador Retriever Dogs Blog

Again the thread came up about microchipping your dog and it's something that I have blogged about a few times already. Microchipping is like placing a barcode scanner under your dogs skin. Our dog Cooper has been chipped since the day we brought him home. With anything there are pros and cons to putting a microchip in your dog, although I have been hard pressed to find anything concrete about the negative effects.

I did find an interesting story this week about a black lab that was lost in Oregon and found in Seattle. She was returned to her owners only because she was microchipped. She brought to a vet who scanned her and found out who she belonged to. If that isn't reason enough to get your dog microchipped then I don't know what is. These people would still be without their dog. It's something to think about.

The decision to microchip your dog can be a tough to make as there are advantages and disadvantages to having this done. Getting all of the information about microchipping can be as confusting as choosing something like term insurance.

It is my contention that the advantages for outweigh the disadvantages. The first advantage obviously is that if your dog or puppy becomes lost a microchip is a permanent way to find him or her. What I mean by this is that many people believe that having a collar or dog tag is all they need to have but collars and tags can become lost. Especially if your dog is an escape artist. The collar can come off when they escape through a fence or even through bushes. A microchip is something that will identify your dog and never become lost.

These days most veterinarians have the ability to read microchips. The only drawback of the chip is that not all chip readers will read all microchips. I have read that there are many different companies making different chips which are not compatible with all machines. Your best bet would be to contact the vet that you go to and get as much information about the best kind of chip or most popular chip that can be read my machines. I would prefer to get one that my vet can read.

If you are thinking about getting your pet microchipped it is best to do so at an early age. And remember if you go with a microchip, keep your informaiton on file up to date so they can find if you do lose your pet. Especially if you move.