WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO MICROCHIP MY PET?

It began to be implemented in some European regions in the 90s. Its benefits immediately penetrated among veterinarians and institutions related to the animal world. Today it is considered the most effective method for the identification of animals. Worldwide, numerous governments have enacted laws to make its use mandatory. We are talking, of course, about the microchip or chip, as it is known colloquially, a tiny device, through which it is possible to locate our beloved lost dog or cat.

What exactly is the chip?

It could be said that the chip is to dogs and cats what the DNI is to people.
In general terms, it is a small electronic animal identification system, made up of two parts: the microchip itself and the capsule that covers it.
The capsule, the size of a grain of rice, is made of a soft and biocompatible glass, that is, it does not cause allergies. It lasts approximately twenty-five years, which means that it is placed only once in the life of the animal. This capsule includes a unique numeric code inside it, consisting of nine digits and four letters, which can be revealed to experts by means of a reader.special. Based on this code, veterinarians,

protectors and other authorized entities

They access the data associated with it in order to locate the owners of the animals.

This associated information is registered in the database of the pet census of each autonomous community, where the history related to each chip is kept: name of the owner, address, contact telephone numbers, name of the dog or cat, etc.

Remember:

The identification code is unique and will be the same throughout the life of the animal.
Any change in data must be communicated to the veterinarian to update them: owner, city, country, address, telephone, etc.
The owner of the dog or cat is the person listed in the database and responsible for the damage that the animals may cause to third parties.

Our dogs and cats must be registered in the city Hall; To register them, they will ask us for our ID, the veterinary card of the dog or cat and the proof of registration in the Companion Animal Identification File.

What is it for?

In addition to the purpose of finding our lost dog or cat, which is already a lot, the chip provides numerous added advantages, both for people and animals.
Let's see a few:

Confirm who is the owner of the animal: we can ensure that we are the owners of the rediscovered dog or cat; the microchip never cheats, it is impossible to falsify your data.
Access our data: if we lose our dog or cat, veterinarians, protectors and authorities, such as the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA), can access our data, using a chip reader.
Reduce or avoid abandonment: given that the law punishes with sanctions people who abandon or mistreat an animal, with the chip it can be proven who is responsible or irresponsible for a dog or cat who is victims of humiliation.
Sanitary control of the animal population: in a specific municipality or region.
Check the identity: of the insured, in a hospital or veterinary clinic of their coverage.
Facilitate registration: from medical records to veterinarians.
Avoid robberies and scams: with well-identified animals, robbery and fraud become more difficult, since criminals take with them the tiny body of crime, which is the chip and which will reveal the whole truth before the law.

How is it implanted?

We explain it to you in 7 points
1. Chip implantation process: always carried out by a veterinarian.
2. In the neck of the animal: as a general rule, the chip is implanted in the neck of the dog or cat, under the skin, but it can also be placed in the ear, depending on the size of the animal; The veterinarian will introduce the capsule into the body of the dog or cat, with the help of an injector that, by means of a plunger, will push it

once it has pierced the skin.

3. Recommended age: for the implantation of the chip in a dog or cat, the usual age is between a month and a half and two months, usually coinciding with the rabies vaccine. From two months, it can be implanted at any age.

4. Zero reactions: we must be calm for our dog or cat, since the capsules that house the microchip do not produce allergies or other side effects.

5. Few discomfort: the animals will hardly notice pain, as it is as if it were a vaccine, but some are more sensitive or simply more complaining than others and can make a drama of something that, in general, is not so bad .

6. Registered in the census: after the implantation of the chip, your dog or cat will be officially registered in the animal census of your community.

7. If the chip moves: Generally, the chip does not usually cause problems, but if it moves from the original implantation site, we will have to take it to the vet to be checked.

Cat and dog chip reader:

These reading devices, also called scanners, are specially designed to read the subcutaneous microchip in dogs and cats.
Its operation is simple: the reader is passed along the body of the animal and the moment it approaches the microchip, the fifteen-digit code with which the identity of the animal is verified appears on the screen.

Put the chip on your dog or cat: is it fair and necessary?

In Spain, the law requires the identification of all companion animals and penalizes owners who do not comply with these regulations with fines. Not even cats, who hardly leave the house, are exempt from the imposition.
Therefore, if you have a cat or a dog, you should put the chip on them, not only for fear of fines but above all for your own good.
The Community of Madrid was the first to force the identification of dogs and cats with the microchip.
Gradually, other autonomous communities have been added.
Currently, in Spain, the control of companion animals has grown considerably, compared to two decades ago, although it is still not ideal.

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What do I do if my cat or dog is lost or stolen?

First, confirm the disappearance of the animal, then go to the various agencies that are in charge of these matters: