Meet Mister T who belongs to one of our vets. He was brought to a veterinary clinic along with 5 litter mates and their mother, after being found abandoned near a river about 9 years ago. The rescue shelters were all over-run at the time, so vet Anja fostered the family of 7. Mister T stole their hearts, and he became a long-term family member. He has used up some of his 9 lives during his relatively short lifetime. He had a run in with a van when he was about a year old, which meant that he had his tail partially amputated. He did not take too kindly when a baby human came into his quiet peaceful household and he absconded. Thankfully, he had a microchip implanted so after three years of searching for him, he returned home. Shortly after being re-united with his family, he moved to Ireland, where he now lives the good life, hunting in the countryside of East Clare.
So, what is a microchip?
A microchip is a small electronic device which is implanted via a small needle under the skin of your pet by a trained professional. Did you know that the microchipping of all dogs is a legal requirement in Ireland? Once the microchip has been implanted it can be scanned using a microchip scanner. The only information the chip contains is a unique 15-digit number which once searched on the database will give us the contact information for the owner. For this reason, it is important to update your contact information if it changes. The Irish kennel club believe that microchipping makes a clear link between a pet and owner, which leads to pets being quickly re-united reducing stress for pets and owners alike.
Although it’s not a legal requirement we also strongly recommend that you microchip your cats. Our exotics vet Fiona has experience of placing microchips in other animals including ferrets, tortoises, rabbits, lizards and birds.