A microchip is a small electronic chip contained in a glass receptacle no bigger than a grain of rice, which is inserted in between the shoulder blades of your pet just below the skin using a needle.

The microchip transmits a unique identification number when a scanner passes over it which identifies that animal.

So why should your pet be microchipped?

If a pet goes missing and it is brought to a vet’s office, the SPCA or to the animal wardens, their microchip is scanned and their owner is contacted. There is rarely a week that goes by when we don’t hear from other vets with a lost pet looking for their owner, and it’s great when we can share the microchip information and get the animal home quickly and safely.

Your pet must also be microchipped to enter Bermuda from another country and it’s a way of identifying them to ensure their required vaccinations are up to date.

Having your pet microchipped does not require an anaesthetic and is quick and easy for a trained professional.

Microchips can sometimes shift from their implantation site and end up in all sorts of strange places.

I had one that moved from the shoulder blades to the hind leg, and another that went under the chest. I have also seen dogs with multiple microchips, especially pets that travel a lot as certain chips will only work with certain scanners.

Implanting the microchip is, however, only half of the story. Once implanted, the number must be registered with your local vets and, in Bermuda, with the Government Animal Wardens.

Here, there is a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped and licensed, but there is no requirement, as yet, for cats or horses. Failure to microchip your dog and have the chip registered can lead to a fine.

The great thing about microchips is that once they are implanted, they cannot get lost, unlike collars and tags which can come off or be removed.

It is very important that you keep your details updated if you move home or change phone numbers so that you can be contacted quickly. This is also true if you re-home your pet to a new owner as their details will now need to be attached to the microchip number.

I’m often asked if the microchip can help to locate a lost animal, a bit like a GPS tracker, or tell the dog’s temperature and activity levels. Although there are rumours of future chips that will have these types of capabilities, there are none currently on the market.

There are other neat uses for microchips. It is possible to install a cat flap that identifies the cat by its unique microchip number, and which acts as an electronic door key, keeping unwanted cats out.

Perhaps in the future we will all be unlocking our cars and front doors with our own implanted microchips but for now, cats have the monopoly on that.

So, check with your vet and see if your pet is microchipped, update your details, and make sure they come home safely.

• Lucy Richardson graduated from Edinburgh University in 2005. She started CedarTree Vets in August 2012 with her husband, Mark. They live at the practice with their two children, Ray and Stella, and their dog, two cats and two guinea pigs. Dr Lucy is also the FEI national head veterinarian for Bermuda