How to Update Your Pet's Microchip Information: A Step by Step Guide
A practical, step by step guide to updating your pet's microchip contact details so a lost pet has a real chance of getting back to you.
Pet Identification
A microchip only works if the registration is current
A microchip that's never been registered, or registered under an old cell number, does almost nothing in an actual recovery. The chip itself just stores an ID number. It's the registry lookup that turns that number into a call to the right owner.
Recovery depends on more than one piece of technology
A collar tag, a microchip and a current registry entry each cover a gap the others miss. A tag works even without a scanner on hand; a chip survives a lost collar. Counting on just one leaves an obvious gap.
Does microchipping replace the need for a collar and tag?
No. A chip needs a scanner and a working registry lookup. A visible tag lets anyone who finds a pet contact you right away, no scanner required.
How do I update my information if I move?
Contact the specific microchip registry your pet is enrolled with directly. It's a quick update, but owners often forget it after a move.
More in Pet Identification
The benefits of microchipping your pet: why it matters and how it works
A microchip is the one form of pet ID that cannot fall off or be removed. Here is how the procedure works, what it costs, and why it still needs a tag as backup.
How pet microchip registration works: what actually happens after your pet is chipped
The chip only stores a number. Registration links it to your contact details, and it's the part owners most often skip or let go stale.
