Microchipping
At Lakewood Veterinary Center, we encourage all pet owners to microchip their animal companions. The sad fact is that only 17% of dogs and 2% of cats make it back to their owners when they become lost. Microchipping greatly increases the chances that your pet will be returned to you.
Microchipping a pet is simple, relatively painless, and very affordable. Unlike collars and tags, microchips can’t fall off, and they serve as permanent identification for a pet’s entire life. The chip itself is the size of a grain of rice, implanted by injection (similar to a vaccination) under the skin between the shoulder blades. The chip is made of an inert, biocompatible material that will not disintegrate, rust, or cause an allergic reaction and will last the life or your pet. The chip has no power source- it’s activated by a short radio wave that can be read by a scanner. Each chip has a unique code that can be tracked back to your registered information and the implanter. In 2017 the city of Dallas approved an ordinance that replaced the annual registration of pets with mandatory microchipping.
Microchipping can be done as part of a spay/neuter surgery or anytime you bring your pet in for an exam or routine care. To make an appointment, you can request a visit online [link to appointment page] or give us a call at (214) 826-4800.
