Microchipping your Pet
A close up of a microchip. The actual size is about equal to a grain of rice
About the size of a grain of rice, a microchip is implanted at a veterinary office or shelter, typically beneath the skin over an animal's shoulder blades. Once in place, the number on the chip can be read with a hand-held scanner, and that number is matched with contact information for a pet's owner. The owner's information, the veterinary clinic (or shelter) having implanted the chip and a 3rd emergency contact person are kept on file for that pet. All information is kept strictly private.
Should your pet become lost or stolen, the microchip number can be easily scanned using a hand held scanner (the vast majority of veterinary hospitals in Ontario and the rest of Canada, along with animal shelters, are equipped with a scanner).
Since microchips gained widespread acceptance in the '90s, millions of animals have been chipped. Even more important, hundreds of thousands of lost pets have been reunited with their families.
Implanting of a microchip using a large sized needle can be performed in an awake patient and does not hurt any more so than a needle that is used to vaccinate your pet. Commonly, people will choose to microchip their pet when he or she comes in for their elective spay or neuter.