|
| |
Microchipping is a great innovative idea but it is still a
controversial topic even with dogs and cats, let alone ferrets. Some people
swear by them and some shelters microchip almost every animal that passes
through their doors. Other people have their doubts about the effectiveness and
consistency of microchips.
Pros:
-
Microchips can help pets be
reunited with their owners.
-
Microchips are small (about the
size of a large grain of rice) and inserting them is easy and relatively
painless.
-
Microchips cannot get lost like
collars and tags can.
-
Microchips do not ‘burn out’ or
require batteries. They usually remain active for the lifetime of the pet.
Cons:
-
Microchipping can be costly,
($25 or more per animal).
-
Microchipping isn’t always
reliable. There are several companies that currently make microchips.
Unfortunately each company has its own chip frequency. This means that if
your chips are from company ‘A’ and the microchip scanner at your animal
control or local shelter is from company ‘B’, they may not be able to read
your chips. They can generally tell that there is a chip there, but they
can’t identify who the owner of the animal is. (There is hope, though. Some
microchip companies have developed universal microchip scanners that will read
chips other than their own. Unfortunately not all animal shelters have these
new units.)
-
If someone finds your ferret,
they may not think to have the animal checked for a microchip. Even though
microchips have been around for many years now, many people are not aware of
them.
If you have any questions
about microchips and whether they are right for your pet, contact your
veterinarian for more information.
| |
|
