Gain peace of mind by having your pet microchipped. Microchipping is a permanent and safe way to identify your pet in case he or she gets lost. A microchip is a tiny device roughly the size and shape of a grain of rice. It’s placed just under the loose skin at the back of the neck. When a lost cat or dog without a collar tag is found, a veterinarian or veterinary technician will use a handheld microchip scanner to check for a chip. If a pet has one, it will transmit the ID number to the scanner using a low-frequency radio wave. Once they’ve obtained the ID number they’ll contact the chip manufacturer to retrieve the pet owner’s contact information. Dr. Dagmar Schouten, Cedarwood Veterinary Hospital, CedarwoodVet.ca