ID Your Pet Day

Today, July 1st, is ID Your Pet Day! Did you know that as many as one in three pets will get lost at some point in their lifetimes? Those are pretty sobering statistics. We of course hope that all of our patients stay safe and sound at home. However, it’s always best to take proper precautions with your pet’s health and safety. That means making sure your little (or not so little) buddy is wearing proper identification. A Metairie, LA vet offers some information on this below.

 Microchips

Microchipping your pet is a very simple process, and one that will only take a few minutes. The chip will be placed under your pet’s skin, generally between the shoulder blades, with a hypodermic needle. As far as the physical part of the process, that is all that needs to happen. However, you’ll need to fill out your records in the chip manufacturer’s database. This is crucial! The chip doesn’t contain any contact information: when the chips are read, the scanners will only pick up a unique ID number. This correlates to your account in the manufacturer’s records. If your contact information is missing or blank in the chipmaker’s registry, the chip will be useless. (Tip: try using the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool here to check your pet’s records.)

ID Tags

If your pet has been microchipped, then you’ve taken an important step towards keeping them safe. However, microchips don’t negate the need for identification tags. These are not only required by law in many places, they’re also just the easiest way for someone to get a hold of you if they find your furry buddy. If you’re worried about your pet potentially getting stuck on something, get a breakaway collar. These are safer in such situations. Of course, the tags would stay with the collar if that happened, which only highlights the importance of microchips.

Carriers

Do you often travel with your furry friend? If so, you may also want to put some identifying information on their carrier. You can use luggage tags to do this. An address label will also work, though you may want to cover it with clear moving tape to protect it from water and wear.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if ever we could be of assistance. As your local Metairie, LA veterinary clinic, we’re here to help.