Dog and Cat Microchipping Best Practice

Microchipping is essential for companion animal welfare, but the chip alone is insufficient without correct implantation, registration, and database maintenance.

Key Facts

Microchips must be implanted between the shoulder blades to be scannable from standard scanning sites
Migration of chips to unusual locations reduces scanning detection rates
ISO standard 15-digit chips are required in the UK to ensure universal scanner compatibility
Registration must be updated immediately on any change of ownership or contact details
Chip number should be recorded on all veterinary records, insurance documents, and with the breeder

Welfare Considerations

Microchipping provides its welfare benefit — reunification of lost animals with owners — only when the entire system works correctly: chip correctly implanted, readable by standard scanners, registered on a database with current contact details, and searchable when the animal is found. Failures at any link in this chain can result in an animal being euthanised as unidentifiable when it is in fact microchipped. The welfare investment in microchipping requires maintenance — registration must be updated when owners move or change details, and the chip should be scanned at annual veterinary visits to confirm readability.

What You Can Do

Have your pets chip scanned at every annual veterinary visit to confirm readability
Update registration details immediately on any change — address, phone, or ownership
Record your pets chip number in multiple locations including with your vet and on your phone
Ensure newly acquired pets have their registration transferred to your details immediately
Advocate for a central lookup service that enables searching across all UK databases simultaneously