So far, I've never seen a chip in my career stop working. Could it happen? I suppose so, but I wouldn't be worried about that. The chips that are usually implanted are good for the lifetime of the pet.

No, no recovery period is needed. We advise not to put any pressure over where we implanted the microchip, as it can be a little tender for about the first day or so.

Really, no risks. Sometimes we'll get some temporary bleeding where we implant the microchip just because we're putting a needle through the skin. But besides a little bit of blood that will clot up really quickly, there are really no contraindications or complications from implanting a microchip.

It can be uncomfortable, so we make the process quick for the pet. During a spay or neuter, and other times with sedation, we can also use a small injection of lidocaine in the skin.

We use a little larger needle than a regular vaccine needle. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and sits in the needle. We implant it in the shoulder of a dog and then scan it to ensure it is implanted correctly.

The only information available is your dog's name, your name, your address, and phone number.

The AAHA universal pet microchip is a website that you can access to look up a pet's microchip number and find out the necessary information to recover your dog.

The only information that's in a microchip is the chip number. This chip number corresponds to a database entry, which contains your name, your dog's name, your address, and your phone number.

The pet hospital or the shelter that implants the chip, you, and the database for the microchip are the only sources of your information. But, yes, if your dog has a microchip and someone scans it, the microchip identification will come up. You can then enter this number on the internet and it will bring up your dog's name, your address, and your phone number.

Collars and tags can sometimes get removed, especially if a dog is running around and gets caught on a fence or shrubs. Quick-release collars are designed not to strangle the animal, but this also means the dog's identification could end up not being on them anymore. Once that identification is lost, there's no way for anyone to know who the dog is or where they belong. Microchipping your dog provides a permanent form of identification. If you're interested in getting your dog microchipped, we at Blue Oasis would be more than happy to help.