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What's the
benefit of microchipping my pets? |
| A microchip is
a permanent form of identification. It can never be lost, altered, or
destroyed. Many pets that are found and turned into shelters have no collars
or tags to identify them. |
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How does a
microchip work? |
| A special
scanner is used that emits a low radio frequency to the microchip. The
scanner provides the power necessary to transmit the microchip’s unique
identification number as the microchip itself has no internal energy source.
The identification number is then displayed on the scanner and that number
is used to locate the pet in the HomeAgain Pet Recovery Database. |
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How is the
microchip implanted? |
| The process is
similar to your pet receiving a routine vaccination. The microchip is
injected with a needle beneath the surface of the skin between the shoulder
blades. |
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How long does
the microchip last? |
| The microchip
will last the life of your pet as there is no internal energy source or
moving parts to malfunction. The chip becomes anchored between the shoulder
blades by a thin layer of connective tissue that forms around it after
implanted. It will not move or pass through the body. |
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Does implanting
the microchip hurt my pet?
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| Most pets
react the same way to the microchip being implanted as they do to any
injection. There is nothing in the microchip that will burn or irritate
tissue. Once implanted, your pet will not even know it is there. |
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Does my pet need
to be sedated? |
| No. Injecting
the microchip is just like any other injection. Anesthesia and pain
relievers are not necessary or recommended. However, for pet owner
convenience pets can be microchipped at the time of any surgical procedure.
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If a veterinary
clinic or animal shelter finds my microchipped pet, how will they know who
to call? |
| Most
veterinary clinics and shelters automatically scan found pets for a
microchip. The scanner is used to acquire the pet's identification number
from the microchip. The number is then called into the HomeAgain Recovery
Database. Through the database the pet's information and owner contact
information is obtained. The owners are then contacted to advise them their
pet has been found. |
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How do I update
information in the HomeAgain database? |
| You can go
directly to the HomeAgain website to
update contact and pet information as needed. |
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