One of the most important jobs for any pet owner is to ensure that they register and regularly update the microchip of their beloved pet with contact and ownership details to ensure that they can be reunited if they go missing or run away.
It is a legal requirement for dogs to be chipped by the time they are eight weeks old, and the procedure is exceptionally quick and painless.
However, there are a number of common myths that have developed around the technology that sometimes give owners pause or give them the wrong impression about what a microchip is capable of.
With that in mind, here are some common myths about microchipping debunked.
Microchips Do Not Store Any Contact Information
Even given how small many microchips on the market are today, pet microchips are exceptionally small and are powered on whenever they are scanned. As a result, they only have the space to store a unique identification number and not your personal information.
The ID number is, however, connected to a government-registered database with ownership information, breed information and contact details for the owner.
You Cannot Track A Pet’s Location Via A Microchip
Notwithstanding the ethical issues of tracking the location of millions of pets in the UK and presumably their owners, the technology used in microchips does not include a GPS or location tracker, which means that they cannot be used to find a pet that has gotten lost.
Instead, they are used to determine ownership once they are found again, and although there are GPS collars you can buy for your pet, they need to be purchased and used individually.
Microchips Never Zap Pets
Pet microchips do not at any point emit any form of electricity. Instead, they are dormant in the body until scanned by a dedicated scanner, which transmits radio waves that also do not harm your pet.
