Oak Brook

ID Tags, Microchips And Tattoos. What Is The Best Pet Identification For You and Your Pet?

A missing pet is one of the most anxiety-producing scenarios a pet-owner can experience. Various forms of ID can go a long way towards reuniting you with a lost dog or cat. Along with regular ID tags, microchips and the more controversial tattoos can save your dog or cat’s life if they get lost.

The most basic and often-used form of pet identification is the ID tag, which is affixed to your pet’s collar, and contains basic but vital information such as the pet’s name, your name and phone number, and occasionally a street address. Dogs and cats should be wearing collars with ID tags on them at all times; even indoor cats. Some, however, suggest removing collars when crating animals for safety purposes, especially if your tags are attached to training collars.

In addition to ID tags, microchips for pets are becoming increasingly popular and work in concert with plastic or metal external tags. Think of the microchip as more of a backup, since you need a microchip scanner to read one. It’s usually easier to read a collar ID tag, but if a tag falls off or is worn out, a microchip can be a godsend. Microchips are like tiny, permanent ID tags for your dogs and cats that last a lifetime and cannot be lost. In an area as large as the Chicago suburbs, and especially with towns like Oak Brook and Wheaton that sometimes disallow fences, microchips can be literal life savers if your dog or cat gets lost. [Read more…] about Pet Identification Options