Microchipping

Discover Pet Microchipping with Our Veterinarians in Bloomington, IL

At Fairway Knolls Veterinary Hospital, our veterinarians in Bloomington IL do everything in our power to ensure pet parents and their beloved companions have the best of what modern day veterinary medicine has to offer. That's why we're proud to provide pet microchipping services for cats, dogs, horses, and other animals.

Dog with a knapsack running away from home.

Understanding Pet Microchipping

A pet microchip isn't exactly like a "tracking device" or "GPS signal." Instead, consider it a permanent identification tag on your animal.

The microchip itself is small, about the size of a grain of rice. It contains a small chip that digitally stores an identification number completely unique to your pet. It can be activated by a wand-like scanning device (many shelters, animal hospitals, and animal control centers have them).

Once activated, a digital signal is sent to the associated microchip registry company, alerting them that an animal has been recovered. Using the unique identification number, the microchip database registry will access your privately stored contact information and let you know where your pet is. 

The Benefits of Having Your Cat or Dog Microchipped

While a microchip should never take the place of an identification collar, they can be a great and often life-saving back up. Here's why:

  • Collars can come off or be taken off. A microchip is invisible and can't fall off your pet. 
  • Pets can escape, get stolen, or become lost due to any other reason (e.g., natural disasters). Millions do every year in this country, and sadly not all of them are reunited with their families.
  • The microchipping process is quick, virtually painless, and affordable.
  • Research shows pet microchips drastically increase the return-to-owner rate. One study showed that recovery rate jumped from 22% for dogs without microchips to over 52% for dogs with microchips, and the recovery rate for cats was even more significant: from 2% to over 38%!

How a Veterinarian in Bloomington Inserts a Microchip in Your Pet

These days, microchips can easily be implanted by a veterinarian in Bloomington in a quick office visit. The microchip is inserted just beneath your pet's skin (usually between the shoulder blades) via a large needle and a skin pinch, and is actually relatively painless for your pet—no anesthesia required. They probably won't even notice it!

We can also insert microchips when your pet is under anesthesia already for another procedure, such as a dental exam.

There are a variety of microchip brands available. Our Bloomington vet team will be sure to go over all your options!

Have Questions About Microchipping? Talk to us at Fairway Knolls Veterinary Hospital

Contact our team today by calling (309) 663-1414 to schedule an appointment today!

Location

Find us on the map