| Monday | | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM | | Tuesday | | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM | | Wednesday | | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM | | Thursday | | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM | | Friday | | 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM | | Saturday | | 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM | | Sunday | | Closed | | For after hours emergency care please call Oakland Veterinary Referral Services at 248-334-6877 or Michigan Veterinary Specialists at 248-371-3713 |
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MICROCHIPPING
Microchipping
Microchips have helped reunite thousands of pets with their families. We offer the most widely used microchip products to increase the chances of a safe recovery. The Home Again Microchipping company offers a fabulous new program including amber alerts for lost pets to local veterinary clinics, humane societies and shelters, lost pet medical insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency medical care with free access to the ASPCA Animal Poison
Control center, and a pet ID card. You can enroll your pet in this great new program even if your pet has previously been microchipped or has a microchip from another company. Please make an appointment to discuss this new program with us or to schedule microchipping.
What is a microchip?
The microchip is a tiny computer chip, about the size of
a grain of rice, programmed with an identification number.
The chip is enclosed in biocompatible glass and is
small enough to fit into a hypodermic needle. Once an
animal is injected with a chip, it can be identified
throughout its life with this one-of-a-kind number.
What’s the benefit of
microchipping my pet?
Microchips are permanent and can’t be lost, altered, or
destroyed. Pet owners have been reunited with chipped
pets that have been missing for years or that have traveled
thousands of miles.
How does microchip
identification work?
A special scanner is used to send a radio signal to the
chip to read the identification number. The pet feels
nothing when the scanner is placed over it. The number
is displayed on the scanner, and the person reading the
scanner can contact a national registry to find out who
the pet belongs to.
How is the microchip implanted?
Microchips are implanted with a needle beneath the skin
between the shoulder blades. They can’t be felt or seen.
How long does the microchip last?
The microchip has no power supply, battery, or moving
parts, and it’s designed to last the life of the pet. Once
injected, the microchip is anchored in place as a thin
layer of connective tissue forms around it. It requires no
care and will not pass through or out of the body.
Does implanting the microchip
hurt my pet?
Most pets react the same way to this shot as they do to
any other. The microchip contains nothing that will burn
or irritate tissue; it’s completely biocompatible.
Does my pet have to be sedated
to be implanted with a microchip?
No. Injecting a microchip is just like any other
injection or vaccination. Anesthesia is not required
or recommended.
Could my pet be allergic
to the microchip?
The microchip is inert, smooth, nontoxic, and nonallergenic.
Microchip companies say there is virtually
no chance of the body developing an allergy or trying
to reject the microchip.
If a veterinary clinic or animal
shelter finds a microchip, how will
they know who to call?
Animal shelters and veterinarians are finding chips in
more and more pets. They are aware of the national registries
and routinely contact them to obtain owner information
regarding the pet. They then contact owners to
advise them their pet has been found.
I have tiny toy breeds—
can I still have them implanted?
Absolutely. The same size microchip and needle are
used in pets even smaller than puppies and toy breeds,
including mice, baby birds, and even fish.
How do I update information
in the registration?
After your pet is chipped, you will be given information
about how to contact the national registry to update
your information. Remember to do this whenever you
change your address or telephone number.
Do shelters scan animals
for microchips?
Yes, scanning pets for microchips has become standard
practice in animal shelters. Some municipalities, such as
Los Angeles County in California, are even requiring pets
to be microchipped, so local governments can cooperate
with shelters to reunite pets and owners.
Source: Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control
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