Microchip Advice

Microchipping is a legal requirement for all dogs over the age of eight weeks and from 10th June 2024 for all  cats over the age of twenty weeks. We also provide microchipping for other small animals.

What is a microchip?

  • A small chip approximately the size of a grain of rice, is inserted just under the skin between the shoulder blades using a sterile needle. The microchip contains a unique number which is stored on a national database with your contact details and your pet’s information (i.e. name, gender, age).
  • The procedure does not require an anaesthetic and is no more painful than a normal injection
  • The chip is coated in a bio-compatible glass, the same material used in human pacemakers, which is not rejected by the animal’s body
  • The device fuses to the animal’s bodily tissue
  • Occasionally the microchip can migrate to somewhere else rather than between the shoulder blades, this is quite normal and does not mean another chip needs to be implanted.

As from April 2016 it is compulsory for all dogs to have a microchip implanted and the most correct up to date owners details need to be stored on the database. If you do not have your dog microchipped or the details are out of date then you could face a fine.

Microchips can be implanted into many species including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and even tortoises.

If your pet is not microchipped then we strongly urge you to get this done as soon as possible. Even if your pet never goes outside. In fact if your pet doesn’t regularly go outside then it is possibly more important to have them microchipped as they are more likely to get lost if they do find themselves outside without you.

Microchips do not have the ability to locate your animal. They are not a GPS tracker. They also do not know if you have moved house or changed your phone number. It is your responsibility to make sure that your pet’s microchip is registered and the details held on the database are up to date.

According to Petlog, 8 out of 10 pets are microchipped, but many details are out of date.

If you have any questions regarding microchipping or wish to book an appointment for your pet to be microchipped please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss this further.

Follow this link to Petlog to update your details: https://www.petlog.org.uk/