National Microchip Month
For National Microchip Month Abbeydale and Ribble Valley Vets will be offering microchips for £10 instead of £19.99.
Microchipping is becoming very popular now and most people have their pets done at the second vaccination or whilst being neutered. It is only compulsive for pets, which travel abroad, to be microchipped, although the law may be changed to make it compulsory that all pets are microchipped.
A collar and tag can be lost but microchipping is a permanent way of identifying your pet. Most animals can be microchipped including dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and some birds.
The chip is the size of a grain of rice and is usually placed between the shoulder blades, using a specially designed needle. The needle is large but is designed to cause less pain and to have it in place as quickly as possible. Most animals don't react whilst having it placed, but some do.
The pet is then identified with its own unique number, which is registered to the owner. This can be picked up using a scanner, often kept by Vets, rescue centres, dog wardens and sometimes the police. The person with the scanner can then contact the national database to retrieve the owner's details and reunite pet and owner.