Ever wonder how microchips work or how long they last? Here are some answers to some common questions about microchips.

For anyone who has questions about microchips, this HSUS article is definitely the way to start.

For a great majority of pet owners this question might not come up, but being a responsible pet owner it’s important to take a gander at all the options—especially those that will come in very handy should disaster strike like being separated from your pet. Even indoor pets might benefit from microchipping and the technology is finally mature enough to have become useful to the woman-on-the-street.

According to the article, the biggest problem that has been overcome already is one of lack of standardization. This is an extremely prevalent issue with any technology: everyone wants to do it differently. Everyone has already experienced this with their home entertainment systems, millions of remotes, since the TV, the DVR, the DVD player, all want you to talk to them and none of them speak the same language. Same with different brands of microchips; fortunately the Universal Remote came around, as did the universal microchip scanner.

Microchipping pets opens up a vast support system that can spring into action should your pet get lost—made especially effective with the universal scanner in play—because the moment that a veterinarian or municipal animal control service picks up your lost fuzzy they can scan up your information and get them returned. No dog tag that can get snagged on things or get torn off, no problem with it wearing down and becoming unreadable.

Objections might still persist about the surgical techniques used to embed the chips, but we haven’t heard anything at large that suggests that subdural insertion (putting it right under the skin, like a tattoo but a chip instead) has much complications. It’s certainly not even as invasive as spay or neuter and that’s an absolute must for domesticated pets in this day and age—and you might be able to get your pet microchipped at the same time.

For many pet owners that phone call that someone in the know has picked up their animal is exactly what they want to hear when they’ve been separated, microchips are an excellent tool to add to this mix.

Link, via the HSUS.