Hey everybody, Whinny here! As pet owners, we all share a profound bond with our four-legged companions (yes, mice can have companions, too!). They’re not just pets; they are beloved members of our families, providing us with unconditional love and unwavering loyalty. However, as responsible caretakers, it is our duty to ensure their safety and well-being. One essential step towards protecting our pets is microchipping. In this blog, we will explore the significance of microchipping for horses, dogs, and cats and how it can be a lifesaving measure in times of distress.

Peace of Mind

Losing a pet is every pet owner’s nightmare. The thought of our precious horse, dog, or cat wandering away and getting lost is heart-wrenching. Microchipping provides invaluable peace of mind, knowing that if the worst were to happen, there is a high chance of reuniting with our beloved companion. Unlike collars and tags that can break or fall off, a microchip is a permanent and tamper-proof identification method.

Efficient Identification

Collars with ID tags are a helpful identification tool, but they might not be foolproof. Microchipping, on the other hand, offers a reliable way to identify our pets beyond any doubt. Each microchip contains a unique identification number linked to the pet owner’s contact information in a secure database. If a lost horse, dog, or cat is found and scanned at a shelter or veterinary clinic, the microchip will reveal the owner’s details, leading to a swift reunion.

Safer Travel

Traveling with our pets can be a joyous experience, but it also comes with certain risks. Whether it’s a road trip, a visit to the park, or even an international journey, accidents can happen. Microchipping becomes particularly essential when traveling with horses, as they are often transported long distances. In case of an unforeseen escape or accident during travel, a microchip ensures that your horse, dog, or cat can be traced back to you, regardless of the location.

Preventing Pet Theft

Sadly, pet theft is a reality we must acknowledge. Cats and dogs, in particular, are targets of theft due to their high demand. Microchipping acts as a powerful deterrent, as stolen pets can be easily identified, making them less attractive to potential thieves. Moreover, if a stolen pet is brought to a shelter or veterinarian, the microchip will reveal their true owner, helping to prevent heartbreak and anguish for both the pet and the rightful family.

Medical Assistance

In emergencies, our pets cannot communicate their medical history or pre-existing conditions. Microchipping includes medical information, making it easier for veterinarians to provide necessary treatment promptly. Additionally, it aids in reuniting lost pets with medical needs with their owners, ensuring they receive appropriate care without delay.

Microchips for FEI and USEF Horse Competitions

Microchipping has become a vital aspect of horse identification and safety in FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) and USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) horse competitions to provide a unique identification number that is linked to the horse’s official records. This identification method ensures accurate tracking of horses throughout their competitive careers, reducing the risk of identity disputes and enhancing overall competition integrity.

For FEI competitions, microchipping is mandatory for all participating horses. The unique identification number is recorded in each horse’s passport, which contains essential information such as ownership details, veterinary records, and vaccination history. This system ensures that the correct horse is entered into each event and helps to prevent fraudulent practices. 

Similarly, USEF requires microchipping for all horses competing in licensed competitions. The microchipped identification number is linked to the horse’s USEF records, facilitating accurate tracking of results, ownership transfers, and age verification.

Conclusion

Microchipping is a simple yet powerful tool that strengthens the bond between humans and their cherished animals. The process is safe, minimally invasive, and brings numerous benefits that far outweigh any temporary discomfort. By getting our horses, dogs, and cats microchipped, we demonstrate our commitment to being responsible pet owners and safeguarding our furry family members.

Remember, the decision to microchip is an investment in your pet’s safety and well-being, and it may one day be the key to their safe return. Let’s ensure that our furry friends always find their way back into our loving arms, no matter where they wander.

You can call the humans here at Springhill Equine any time and add a microchip to your next appointment. The number is 352-472-1620.

Until next week!

~Whinny

P.S. Have you been checking out the videos over on my YouTube Channel? It’s a fantastic free resource, and my humans make new videos all the time! You can learn all kinds of stuff and get some entertainment at the same time. Don’t miss out!

Hi everyone, Whinny here! As a Florida mouse, I know that summer brings not just bugs and humidity, but also hurricane season! The next few months will bring us the most active time for tropical storms so I decided to bring up about an important component protecting your horse in times of natural disasters or other adverse events – microchip identification.

If you love your horse (or dog, or cat, which also should be chipped, but I’m mostly talking about horses today) as much as most of the owners that come to my clinic, you want to do everything you can to protect him.  While there are things we can’t control about our horses’ health, providing a safe and reliable means of identifying them is sooo easy to do. A microchip is a solid way of proving ownership, not only in severe weather events where horses could go missing, but also in situations of theft or ownership disputes. In addition, many breed registries and show organizations require microchips nowadays.

What Is It?

A microchip is a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice that is implanted into your horse’s neck, under his mane, with a needle. The chip contains a 15-digit numerical code that is unique to your horse. It’s like the VIN number your car has, but for your horse. The number can’t be changed and is a reliable way to identify a horse. Once it’s inserted, anyone with a microchip scanner can read the number and look up the registration information to find out how to contact the owner.

Why It’s Useful

Microchips are a better method of identification than lip tattoos or brands. Have you tried deciphering a thoroughbred’s lip tattoo? It can be a guessing game, especially as the horse gets older. Brands can also be difficult to read, and they’re not usually unique to individual horses. Also, both can be altered.

Microchips are very common in dogs and cats, it’s often part of the routine healthcare performed when getting a new pet. There are many, many stories of lost or stolen pets being reunited with their families thanks to a chip, sometimes even years after going missing. While horses don’t wander off as often as cats  and dogs do, in the case of natural disasters or weather events, horses may have to be left outside and recovered after the danger has passed. They may end up a distance away from home. Rescuers attempting to reunite a displaced horse with its owner have quite a challenge. Think about how many bay geldings you know – I bet it’s a lot! But any horse with a microchip can be quickly and easily returned to its owner.

A microchip can be a great way of protecting your interests if you are buying or selling horses. A vet doing a pre-purchase exam on a horse can also make sure they have been presented with the correct horse to examine, protecting you as the buyer from potential fraud. On the other hand, when you sell a horse there is always some uncertainty about where your horse will wind up in the future. Equine rescue groups working with horses that have fallen on hard times can trace back the horse’s identification and potentially reunite them with a previous owner. Microchips can also be used to solve disputes about horse ownership. If you have a record of a horse’s microchip that lists you as the legal owner, you have a much stronger case to prove the horse is yours. Organizations such as the Equine Rescue Network are working to supply microchip scanners and volunteers to scan horses at auctions that may ship horses for slaughter. If the horse is microchipped, there is a chance the previous owner of a stolen or slaughter-bound horse may be able to be reached.

As if all those reasons weren’t enough, many major breed registries and show organizations now require horses be microchipped with the 15-digit International Organization or Standardization (ISO) chips for identification. These include, just to name a few, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the Jockey Club, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) and the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover.

How It’s Done

It’s really not a big deal to put it in. Really, it’s downright easy. I saw Tony get his microchip and he didn’t even feel the need to bite the vet when she did it!

In horses, the microchip is implanted in the nuchal ligament on the left side of the neck, halfway between the poll and the withers, just below the base of the mane. My docs will do a sterile prep to make sure things are nice and clean, and then use a thingy that looks like a syringe and needle to put in the chip. It’s super quick and doesn’t take much longer than giving a vaccine. Depending on your horse’s personality, he may prefer a bit of sedation or some local anesthetic over the injection site. The chip is tiny and inert, so the vast majority of horses have no reaction to it, though a few might have a small swelling for a few days after insertion. The benefit of microchipping your horse definitely outweighs any risk.

After it’s in, my doc will wave a little hand-held scanner over your horse’s neck and make sure it reads the chip and then Presto! Your horse is legit.

My docs will make sure to use to use the approved ISO-compatible chips and record the number in your horse’s medical records. Then it’s up to you to register the code with your contact info and give the number to any breed registries or show organizations you belong to.

And what does this peace of mind cost? Hundreds? Thousands? Nope, it’s usually around $50 – $75 for the chip and the implantation, plus a little extra if your horse needs sedation or a farm call. Microchips usually last at least 25 years, so if that isn’t a good deal, I don’t know what is!

What It Does

• Provides permanent identification that can’t be separated from your horse (or dog or cat) or changed
• Helps recovery of your animal during a disaster
• Helps prevent theft and fraud
• Provides accurate identification for sales documentation
• Provides accuracy for competitions and breed registries (and is often required)

What It Doesn’t Do

• It’s not a GPS tracker for your animal. You won’t be able to follow the chip to find his real-time location. (There are other devices that can do that though)
• The microchip itself stores only the  identification number. Your contact info and info you enter about your horse is stored through the online registry when you register the chip. That’s why registration after the chip is implanted is critical. Failing to register the chip, update your contact info, or transfer records basically renders the chip useless.
• There is no power supply (none is needed)
• Unlike in cats and dogs, microchips implanted in the nuchal ligament of horses generally do not migrate away from the implantation site.
• Chips are not a fail-safe that your horse will never end up in a bad situation. Slaughterhouses and auctions don’t routinely scan horses for microchips. Though like I said, equine rescue organizations are working to make this more commonplace.

So don’t wait until you are facing a situation where a chip could have helped you, because then it is too late. Microchip implantation is simple, safe, simple, and inexpensive. It’s an easy way to protect your horse that will last his entire life.

Until next week,

Whinny

P.S. Word around the Clinic has it that Justin just finished writing Adventures of the Horse Doctor’s Husband 3, and it will be released on September 15th! Keep an eye on the Books Page of my website for links to purchase in the coming weeks, or get your signed copy at our annual Open House, which is coming up on September 30th!