Chipping is a procedure which involves implanting a microchip into the body of an animal in order to permanently mark it. This is currently the most effective method of animal marking, allowing for accurate identification.
A chip is implanted with the help of a one-use kit. Inside there is a syringe with a needle containing the device, which itself is encoded with a unique 15-digit number. Every kit contains stickers with a barcode, which can come in handy when obtaining animal documents.
The chipping procedure should be performed by a qualified veterinarian. A chip is implanted on the left side of an animal's neck or between the scapulas – depending on the legal requirements. These two locations are usually checked when an animal needs to be identified. The implantation process only takes a moment and is similar to an injection. When performed correctly, chipping is completely safe and painless, which means that no anaesthesia is required – even for very small pets. Once implanted, a microchip will accompany the animal throughout its life. The device does not lose its properties, which is why it does not have an expiration date and does not have to be replaced!
There are several chip size variants currently available on the market, depending on the individual needs of various animal species. Microchip miniaturisation results in the opportunity for many different species to be chipped – not only dogs and cats, but now also fish, ferrets, mice and parrots as well.
If a chipped animal's numeric code has not been registered in a database, it will be impossible to find its owner. In such cases, the microchip is only useful insofar as to identify the animal by comparing the chip number with a barcode that came with it. In order for marking to be effective, it is necessary to register a chipped pet in a database of electronically marked animals.
