Bay Vets
Bay of Islands Veterinary Services has been providing top quality veterinary care to the animals of the beautiful Bay of Islands for over 50 years.
Microchipping is recognized as the most effective and secure way of permanently identifying a pet. Microchip technology has been around since 1989. In New Zealand, it is the law that all dogs first registered after 1st July 2006, and all dogs of breeds classified as menacing or dangerous must be microchipped.
The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is encased in biocompatible glass, the same used in human pacemakers, to prevent rejection from the animal’s body. In dogs, the microchip is inserted into the loose skin on the back of the dog's neck, just in front of the shoulder blades, using a specially designed implanting device. Insertion is a quick and easy process, similar to a vaccination.
Each microchip carries a unique number that can be logged onto a database. Against this number, key information is stored about the pet and its owner including the pet's name, description, and the owner's name and address. When a scanner is passed over the microchip, low-frequency radio waves created by the scanner activate the microchip, allowing the unique number to be read. The microchip should last for the life of your pet.
We will give you a Certificate for you to give to the Council so your dog can be registered on the National Dog Database [NDD]. The NDD has been set up mainly for District Councils to implement their dog control laws. We do not have access to the NDD out of working hours. At this stage, if your pet was found by someone else, for example, injured on the road at night, or caught as a suspected stray, it could be difficult to find you. To improve the chance of your pet being identified and you being contacted promptly, you may also want to register on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register [NZCAR].
This is a Register that provides a ‘Lost and Found’ service throughout New Zealand. The lifetime registration means that, if your pet goes missing and the person who finds it takes it to a Vet or the SPCA, they can get the animal’s microchip details and then contact you.
It is recommended that a dog or cat have their final vaccinations before being microchipped.
While the microchip applicator needle is quite large, most pets don’t object to having the chip implanted. To reduce the sensation, we can inject some local anaesthetic first, or we can implant the microchip when your pet has a general anaesthetic for another procedure such as desexing.
Please contact us if you have any further queries about microchipping your pets. Microchipping and certification for the local council cost approximately $42.
Bay of Islands Veterinary Services has been providing top quality veterinary care to the animals of the beautiful Bay of Islands for over 50 years.
