Microchipping — value of a practice policy
Abstract
National Microchipping Month is held in June each year; during this month veterinary professionals and pet owners are encouraged to think about the benefits of microchipping. By law all dogs over 8 weeks of age are required to be microchipped, and there are also benefits to other pets such as cats. Having a practice policy on microchipping could help to ensure that discussions about microchips become routine.
Microchipping has been compulsory in dogs for more than 2 years now, and anecdotally at least, it appears that it has been effective in increasing the percentage of dogs in the UK that are microchipped. The Dogs Trust's ‘Stray Dogs Survey Report 2017’ (https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/news-events/news/stray%20dogs%20report_v4.pdf) notes that more dogs coming into their care during 2017 were microchipped, compared with 2016. Cats are still not required to be microchipped, and a much lower percentage of cats have had a chip implanted — and the percentage gets much lower when looking at other pets such as rabbits, ferrets, reptiles and so on.
Most of the time, a pet's microchip is not essential. However, in two situations it becomes vital: when a pet is being taken abroad/brought into the UK, and when a lost or strayed animal is brought in to a veterinary practice or animal rescue centre.
The aim of National Microchipping Month in June each year is to educate pet owners about the benefits of microchipping — and about the importance of keeping their associated contact details up to date. Veterinary practices can play a large role in this education, not only during June but throughout the year. However, time is always short and in a busy practice, it can be easy not to discuss microchipping with owners. A practice policy on microchipping could help this to become routine, with every aspect of the practice playing a role:
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