Imagine if your dog or cat got lost. You’d want to give him or her the best chance of getting home. With microchipping, you can.
Microchipping is a safe, permanent way to identify your pet in case he or she becomes lost. A microchip, which is a tiny device about the size and shape of a grain of rice, is placed just under the loose skin at the back of the neck. When a lost dog or cat without an ID tag is found, a veterinarian or veterinary technician will use a handheld microchip scanner to check for a chip. If the pet has one, it will transmit its ID number to the scanner via a low-frequency radio wave.
Even the most responsible pet owners can’t always guarantee their pet won’t get lost. A leash could break or slip, a pet could push through a door or window, or a contractor or friend might accidentally leave a door or gate open.
We recommend that you use a microchip, along with a collar and ID tag, to identify your pet. At the Canadian Veterinary Hospital, we are able to provide microchips, and a variety of collars and engraved tags to meet your specifications. The reason we recommend both is because if a pet is found by another pet owner, they will not have access to a scanner. They can call you immediately, if there is a tag. Pets that have tags with current contact information are more likely to not end up in shelters and tend to get home faster than those without tags. However, collars and ID tags aren’t permanent and can be removed (overnight or for grooming), and pets can also lose them. In this case someone finding your pet, can take them to a veterinary hospital or the Ministry veterinarians, and their scanner will be able to identify their unique microchip. With a microchip, your pet will have a much better chance of being identified and returned to you. Pets without microchips that end up lost, may be adopted out to another family, or remain on the street, and never find their way home.
In Qatar there is no national on-line registry and any claims that there is at this point in time are false! All veterinary hospitals, clinics and centers should be very clear about this, and ensure all microchips they place be put on their software systems at the time of implantation. They should also care enough about the pets to instruct owners to visit all veterinarians, shelters, rescues and the Animal Health Department, and take photos, a written description and microchip details for their lost pet. Owners should also put up posters, repeatedly canvas the neighborhood, email and post on social media the same details with their contact information to help spread the word.
Microchips are also a mandatory requirement for pet importation and expatiation, to and from Qatar. Many other countries also require microchips to enter or exit. Inernational regulations mandate that chips always be placed prior to at least the last rabies (and other required) vaccinations, well prior to international travel. Pets who travel to destinations that require blood tests, must have their chips placed prior to their latest vaccinations, and confirmed at the time of blood sampling, and parasite treatment for travel. Pets must always be scanned, and have their microchips confirmed, prior to any vaccination, or health examination for travel.
If you move away from Qatar, please check with your veterinarian in your new country, and let them know your pets microchip number, and ask the procedures for protecting and registering your pet.
There are many amazing stories of how pets have been found and returned to their families thanks to a microchip and or collar and tag. It is with heartfelt encouragement that we recommend you microchip your pet.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment to microchip your pet. Although we hope your pet never becomes lost, we want you to be prepared. We can also suggest a plan to have in place so if your pet does go missing, you’ll be able to act quickly.
At CVH we can microchip ferrets, rabbits, and some other companion animals, too!
