April 2010

Microchips for pets have been around for quite a while now. They are considered routine for many breeders. If you purchase a puppy from a pet store your puppy will likely have a microchip already implanted. Many rescue and shelter groups also use microchips in the puppies and dogs they place.

As you probably know, a microchip is a small chip about the size and shape of a grain of rice that is inserted between an animal’s shoulder blades. Its purpose is to provide a marker for information about your pet that can be scanned in case your dog is lost or stolen.

There are some pros and cons about microchips. On the plus side, microchips are a permanent form of identification for your dog. If your dog is ever lost or stolen he can easily be identified if found simply by using a scanner to find his microchip. Collars can be lost or removed and tattoos can fade or stretch, but the vast majority of microchips stay in place. Most microchips can be found by a scanner when used properly. However, the scanner must be used by someone who knows how to use it and it is sometimes necessary to move the scanner wand around to find the microchip.

Microchips must be registered with a database company, such as the AKC’s Companion Animal Recovery service. The database service keeps track of your dog’s (or other pet’s) information — his name, your address, phone numbers, vet information, contact numbers, and so on. When your dog’s microchip is scanned a data code is revealed which tells the person scanning that the dog is registered with the database company. A call to the database company will allow them to contact you, or another one of your contacts, to let you know that your missing dog has been found, no matter where he’s been discovered. Your dog might be found 1000 miles from your home and it wouldn’t make any difference. A couple of phone calls and you would know where your dog was so you could go get him.

According to AKC Companion Animal Recovery, lost pets with microchips are up to 20 times more likely to return home.

If you don’t register your dog’s microchip with a database company then it doesn’t do any good to have the chip implanted. As a form of identification the chip will be useless. It would be like having a telephone in your house but never connecting it.

At one time there were problems with microchips because competing companies used chips that required different kinds of scanners. Animal shelters or vets might not have the right scanner to read your dog’s kind of chip. However, today there are universal scanners which are supposed to be able to read all chips.

There are a few studies which have suggested that there could be health risks associated with the use of microchips. Microchips are being studied more extensively now since they are being used in some cases for humans (in children and the elderly in some countries). However, so far the data suggests that the chances of any health problems, such as tumors at the injection site, occur in a very small number of cases compared with the hundreds of thousands of animals which have been microchipped.

Do you have a micro-chip success story? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Until next time………..

We often hear stories that claim that pets, including dogs, make people healthier and even help them live longer lives, but are they true? Is there any science to back up these claims? The answer is yes! People with pets do lead healthier lives in many ways.

According to numerous studies, pets provide a wide array of health benefits to people, ranging from lowering blood pressure to helping to fight depression.

· In a study done at the State University of New York (Buffalo), people suffering from high blood pressure were found to have their blood pressure reduced after getting a cat or dog.

· The Centers for Disease Control states that owning a pet can decrease your blood pressure, your cholesterol levels, your triglyceride levels and reduce feelings of loneliness. They also state that owning a pet can increase your opportunities for exercise and other outdoor activities as well as your opportunities for socialization.

· Research suggests that people with pets may be protected from heart disease, according to the National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefits of Pets. Their rationale is that the companionship of a pet provides an owner with the kind of “psychological stability” that helps to keep people calm and steady.

· Pets have also been found to reduce stress. According to the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition in the UK, pet owners have been found to be able to handle stressful situations better than non-pet owners. Even walking with your dog can make you feel better and calm you down.

· People with pets go to the doctor less often, according to the National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefits of Pets.

· Pets are great at helping people fight off depression, especially for seniors. People who are depressed or lonely can greatly benefit from having a pet. Pets keep people active and they offer unconditional love. They provide feelings of security and companionship. They can often give someone an interest in life when they have lost interest in most other things.

· Exercising with your pet is a great way to get exercise yourself. Even if you simply take your dog for a walk it means that you are getting out and about. This can increase muscle tone, heart and cardiovascular fitness and improve your mood. Just a little exercise can help you keep your weight down, too, which can help you live longer.

The more things you do with your dog, the more you can improve your health. If your health permits, check out some fun activities that dogs and people can do together such as water sports (many dogs love to swim); flyball; playing frisbee; dog dancing — obedience routines set to music. There are also favorites such as obedience training, agility, rally and sports geared to your dog’s background, such as herding, hunting, tracking, earthdog activities and the like.

So, from a health point of view, it’s absolutely true that owning a pet, including a dog, can make you healthier. Take a moment to give your dog a hug and thank him for making you a healthier person.

Do you feel your dog makes you healthier? Tell us how in the comment section below.

Until next time……..