Microchips can have a long life (up to 25 years), which means that most pets need to be chipped only once .

The Chicago Veterinary Medical Association raises awareness of benefits regarding “chipping” pets The month of May is designated national “Chip Your Pet” month, which encourages responsible pet  ownership by ensuring that beloved pets have been microchipped. Chicago Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)

reminds pet owners that doing so helps increase the odds of reuniting them with their pets in the unfortunate  event that their pet is lost or stolen.

“With the onset of spring, many owners and pets are enjoying the outdoors more frequently, which can  lead to pets being separated from their owners,” said CVMA Executive Director Ray McGury. “Microchipping  pets so that they can be scanned and returned to their owners more quickly helps ease some of the anxiety that  occurs when a pet escapes and cannot be located.”

The microchipping service can be performed by most veterinary clinics. It also has several benefits that  include:

• owners and pets being reunited more quickly;
• microchips can have a long life (up to 25 years), which means that most pets need to be chipped  only once;
• the chip cannot get lost or be removed like a collar or tag ;
• microchip information is entered into a nationwide database, which means that vacationing pets or  those who have recently moved can be scanned

“Microchipping your pet is a relatively painless process that involves inserting the chip, which is about the  size of a grain of rice, just under your pet’s skin,” said Dr. Kirsten Plomin, CVMA board president. “Once your

pet is chipped, however, it is important for owners to keep their microchip contact information up to date when  they change their phone number or move residences. Not doing so needlessly complicates the process of trying to  reconnect a pet with its owner.”

Owners considering chipping their pets should be aware of three key considerations. First, it is important to  understand that a microchip is not a GPS and cannot help in locating a lost pet. Additionally, some chips require a  specific kind of scanner, and although there are universal scanners, not all veterinary clinics have them. Lastly, pets  can experience minor, temporary swelling at the insertion site.

CVMA encourages pet owners who have not microchipped their pets to contact their local veterinary  provider to learn more about the process and carefully consider the merits of this important aspect of pet  ownership.

Chicago Veterinary Medical Association is a professional  network with a longstanding tradition that connects more than 1,000 veterinarians with comprehensive resources.