Microchipping is a permanent ID system, which involves a chip, no bigger than a grain of rice being implanted under the skin of your pet’s scruff.
Following the Government's announcement on Monday 13 March, it's now mandatory for all cat owners in England to ensure your cats, older than 20 weeks, are microchipped by Saturday, 10 June 2024. Failure to comply with this legislation may result in a fine of up to £500.
To assist you in meeting this requirement, we're pleased to offer a limited-time 50% discount on cat microchipping. Don't delay in securing your cat's well-being and legal status. Take advantage of our discounted microchipping services today by scheduling an appointment with our team today.
Microchipping
Each microchip has a unique number, which can be read by a portable scanner, which most vets, including Peak vets, local authorities, and rescue homes have access to; ensuring your contact details can be easily obtained from the central microchipping database. Once your pet has been scanned and identified by their microchip, a simple phone call can reunite you with your pet.
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Microchipping Your Pets
Microchipping is not only for dogs but also for cats, ferrets, rabbits, snakes, parrots, tortoises, and horses and comes highly recommended by all the team at Peak vets.
Legal Requirement
It is now also a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped, and all puppies must be vaccinated by 8 weeks of age before ownership is transferred from the breeder. You can be fined up to £500.00 if your dog is not microchipped. It is also worth noting, that if you are planning on taking your pet abroad, they must be microchipped and have a pet passport.
Sedation is not necessary for the implantation of the microchip when microchipping your pets, as this procedure causes minimal discomfort and can be done in a routine consultation. And don't worry if you can't recall (or know) if your pet is microchipped - It is very easy to check for a microchip using a scanner. We can arrange for a member of the team at Peak Vets to scan your pet and check for a working chip. Rest assured, we all always check that an animal hasn’t already got a microchip before implanting a new one.
Equestrian Microchipping
Defra's new equine identification regulations which came into force on Monday 18th October 2018, legally require every horse, pony, and donkey to be microchipped and also possess a valid UK passport, with details stored in the Central Equine Database (CED).
All horses born after 30th June 2009 are already required to be microchipped. Owners of horses born before this date will have two years from 1st October 2018 to get their equines microchipped, and from October 2020 it will be compulsory for all owners to microchip their horses, ponies, and donkeys.
The Central Equine Database allows all police and local authorities to track down owners of stolen or lost horses, hopefully making it easier for owners to be reunited with their animals. It can also help with dumped horses, ponies, and donkeys, ensuring that owners are held accountable and the correct punishment is given should this happen. It is a practical solution to pressing animal welfare issues, ensuring the horse, pony, or donkey are given the care they deserve.
Any changes in a horse's ownership or status- for example-if they are put down, lost, stolen, or signed out of the food chain -will need to be notified to the passport issuing organisation. The organisation will then have 24 hours to update the CED.
Before microchipping your horse, a veterinary surgeon from Peak Vets will check that a chip is not already in place. Before inserting the chip, the vet will ensure that the chip to be implated is working and reads the correct microchip number. The microchip will come with six self-adhesive bar code stickers which can be attached to a passport application and other paperwork that may be needed. The bar code or microchip number should also be retained by the vet and horse owner for future reference.
The implantation takes place on the left side of the neck, at the mid crest. A patch of hair will be removed and the area disinfected, and a local anesthetic may be injected. The microchip is then inserted using a wide bore needle and the microchip is scanned to ensure correct placement. In some instances, bleeding may occur from the injection site, and very rarely swelling may develop at the insertion point. In most cases, this can be treated by draining any fluid that develops and with antibiotics.
Registration Form
At the time of implant, you will be asked to complete a registration form, from which your details are then submitted to a national database by a team member. Your details are kept on the database for your pet’s lifetime, and the fee for this is included in the cost of implantation.
It is important to update any changes to your contact details as soon as possible. At Peak Vets, all our microchips comply with the International Standard (ISO) and can, therefore, be recognised by scanners abroad when used in the Pet Passport scheme.
For more information on microchipping your pets, please speak to one of our friendly team members today!
