Our family just got a dog from the SPCA. Apparently, they put a microchip ID tag in her as standard procedure. I decided to find out what this was about. A microchip uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, which is spreading to all kinds of applications. A pet microchip is a passive RFID tag. This means it does not use a battery or internal power source, so it doesn’t run down and is cheap to make (less than a quarter). A tag has one of 275 billion different numbers on it, so they’ll probably still have one for your pet.
The microchip is 12 mm by 2 mm, which is little larger than a grain of rice. It is typically injected with a hypodermic needle by a qualified individual without the use of anesthesia between the shoulder blades. Some of the components are coated with a substance known as Parylene C to encourage tissue fibers to grow around the tag and secure it in place. It is made of physiologically acceptable materials.
A radio signal that is appropriate is broadcast by an RFID reader to scan a tag. To send the identification number back to the reader, the tag consumes energy. Early on in the business, Beta-VHS incompatibility was a problem, but modern readers can read at many frequencies. To make the procedure more consistent, the Canadian Veterinary Medicine Association has been supporting the International Standards Organization (ISO) system.
Therefore, if your pet is lost and (this is crucial) its identification number has been registered, you can be found and reunited.
Pet doors that are only activated by your pet’s ID are one use where microchip technology is being expanded.
