Our Winston-Salem Veterinarian Suggests Microchipping Pets

If you are like most pet owners, you go to great lengths to make sure your cat or dog is at home, safe and secure. You may even put a collar on your pet – but what happens when the collar comes off? Even with the most vigilant care, pets can and do sometimes escape the confines of their homes or yards. Dogs can slip out of their leashes and cats occasionally sneak past the door. Your beloved pet might get lost, wander away or even be stolen. To help identify found dogs and cats, our Winston-Salem veterinarian suggests microchipping pets.

Veterinarian in Winston-Salem Discusses the Importance of Microchipping Pets

Our veterinarian in Winston-Salem wants you to know that microchipping pets gives them the best chance of returning home.

In a survey performed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA), 15 percent of respondents said they had lost a dog or cat within the previous five years. Fortunately, 85 percent of those lost pets were recovered. Of the dogs recovered, 49 percent of the owners found their canine companions by searching the neighborhood and 15 percent were located because of an ID tag or a microchip for dogs.

Microchipping pets is one of the most important things that pet owners can do for the security and well-being of their animal companions.

Winston-Salem Veterinarian Describes Microchipping Pets

 Microchipping pets provide a way to identify an animal. Our Winston-Salem veterinarian implants a microchip cat owners can use to identify their feline friend in case their cat is ever returned after being stolen or lost. Our veterinarian will implant a microchip for dogs, which will help canine owners identify their lost dog.

A microchip is about the same size as a grain of rice. Our veterinarian implants the microchip just beneath the animal’s skin, near its shoulder. Implanting a microchip is quick and painless – no anesthesia required.

The microchip contains information about the registration number and phone number of the microchip registry for the particular brand of chip. When an animal care professional encounters a found dog or cat, they use a handheld scanner specially designed to read the microchip as it remains embedded in the skin. The scanner picks up the information pet microchip registration. The animal care specialist then contacts the registry and performs a pet microchip lookup that provides contact information for the registering owner.

A microchip does not track your pet, nor does it contain your pet’s medical information although some microchip registries allow you to store that information.

Contact Forsyth Veterinary Hospital to Make an Appointment Today!

If you have a dog or cat, make an appointment for microchipping your pet with our veterinarian in Winston-Salem. Pet microchip registration is included. Forsyth Veterinary Hospital is conveniently located at 2556 S. Stratford Rd. in Winston-Salem, NC. Make an appointment by contacting us at 336-765-1225.