Question on microchipping
I have heard there are problems with microchipping pets. What are the issues surrounding microchipping?
Microchipping is a great tool to help you reunite with a lost pet; however, it is not foolproof.
When a lost pet is picked up by an animal control officer or is taken to an animal shelter or humane society, the professionals there will scan the animal using a handheld scanner, which will let them know if a microchip has been implanted. The microchip implanted under the skin reflects the signal given by the scanner to provide a unique alpha numeric code, which is picked up when the animal is scanned.
Microchips implanted in 2003 or earlier are generally readable by most shelters and veterinarians. Microchips that came into use in late 2003 are generally not readable by most shelters and veterinarians because the chips require different scanning technology. Microchip manufacturers have not yet provided shelters around the country with a scanner that reads all different types of microchips (called a “universal” scanner).