Ask The Vet: Microchipping your pet

I was reading about microchips in people recently and seeing how they get this under the skin for medical purposes but also I know this is done in dogs and cats in case of loss. Please indicate how this is working for animals as the article I was reading was only about people. Babu Ashbal, Dubai

Dr Martin Wyness: Your enquiry is timely, Babu. We, along with a number of vets in the region, have been providing microchips for animals for some time but only recently have we had an internet database registration system that covers our area (www.worldpetregister.com). This means it is now worthwhile having your pet microchipped and registered here.

In the past we did this mainly for people traveling to countries, where microchipping is compulsory for incomers (Australia, New Zealand, UK if going through PETS approved zones, etc*). Now we have our own system covering the Middle East and Asia.

Microchips uniquely identify animals. The chip is a small cylinder, about the size of a grain of rice, that is implanted beneath the skin between the shoulder blades. The implantation procedure is pretty much like a vaccine injection and is done during routine consultations.

Sedatives are generally not required (unless your pet requires these for routine vaccines). The chip carries a number that is transmitted when a scanner activates it. The scanner displays the number which is used to locate the owner on the internet database.

For the average pet-owner there are two or three situations where microchipping is useful. The first is to help lost or stray pets get home. Most lost animals are found by someone and many end up at a local vet clinic or animal rescue organisation.

Space is limited everywhere and unidentified animals are frequently euthanased. Chipped and registered animals will be returned to their owner immediately.

Secondly, animals travelling to a number of countries must be chipped. Health reports and blood sample results are correlated to the chip number and only where this matches the paperwork are animals accepted.

Third, in cases of ownership dispute, the microchip offers a means of proving who actually owns the pet. It is not uncommon for pets to get stolen and it can be hard to prove ownership.

Traditionally, we have identified our pets by collars with ID tags (Dubai still operates this system) or phone numbers but, while collars with tags have their place, they are easily removed or frequently come off accidentally.

Tattoos have also been used for pet id but these require general anaesthesia to place, fade with time becoming hard to read and are not logged on a database anyway.

If your pet has an ID tag you can still use microchip technology - there is no reason why your pet cannot have both forms of ID. Microchips are a far more efficient and reliable means of identifying animals, and a single chip lasts the lifetime of your pet.

Governments are increasingly using microchip ID combined with medical reports in preference to old fashioned quarantine systems for disease control*.

Useful links: <www.britvet.com >, <www.defra.gov.uk/ >, <www.worldpetregister.com >

Types of chip: There are various chip brands but ask your vet for the newer 15 digit FDX standard that is more universally recognized than previous types and accepted in UK, Australia, New Zealand and various other countries. These chips have come down in price (ranging from about Dh74 to Dh150 depending on the brand chosen and your vet's pricing policy).

World Pet Register subscription is US$1/month for the first pet and 50 cents for subsequent pets. A two-year subscription is purchased and can be renewed or details changed any time.

* The UK accepts dogs and cats from the UAE without quarantine if six months are first spent in a PETS-approved country prior to import. Microchipping, which can be done in any country, rabies vaccination and simple blood testing in the PETS approved country are mandatory with this system.

Address your letters to Creature Feature, c/o Gulf News, P.O. Box 6519, Dubai. Or fax on 04-3429720. Martin Wyness can be contacted at The British Veterinary Centre, Abu Dhabi. Email: britvet@emirates.net.ae

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