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It has been reported that up to one third of pets may be lost during some point in their life. one of the biggest growing areas to help address this problem of loss, theft or separation from an animal guardian is the use of permanent microchip identification of both dogs and cats. the most common types of microchip equipment I have seen are the HomeAgain, Microchip ID, and Avid Microchip. all of these are accepted by any kennel/breed club or registry. However, it is vital that the chip be activated by the owner by registering with the appropriate 24 hour recovery center.
Microchips do come with different frequencies; however, the most widely read frequency today is 125 kHz. While animal guardians in all states are legally allowed to purchase, inject and activate microchips, many guardians choose to have their veterinarian or breeder do that for them, if they are uncomfortable with the injection process. Anesthesia is not required to inject the microchip. The chip is usually injected under the skin between the shoulder blades. A special scanner sends a radio signal to the implanted microchip, and is what most shelters and kennels use in identifying lost or stolen pets.
The only rare side effects I have seen with microchips include the rare movement of the chip out of the shoulder blade area to an area down closer to the legs. However, when most people scan lost pets, they will usually go over the entire animal with their scanner in search of the microchip ID number. The only other extremely rare complication would be a tumor or lump at the site of microchip injection. but given the substantial benefit of reuniting lost pets with their animal guardians, I certainly recommend the use of the microchip as a means of permanent identification.
Pet Safety
