Thousands of microchips are implanted into dogs every day across the country, and in almost every case, the procedure takes place smoothly, without harm or distress to the animal. The microchip is given by injection, so of course some animals have a brief pain reaction, just as some humans react to vaccination injections or the process of giving a blood sample. Occasionally a small blood vessel in the skin may be punctured, resulting in a drop of blood. But in nearly every case, that's it. The risk of a serious adverse reaction is genuinely minimal.

I am so confident in the safety and predictability of microchipping that I had no hesitation last week when I was asked to microchip a 4kg Chihuahua on live television in Ireland. This is a routine procedure, not some sort of hazardous surgery. Birds and small mammals are often microchipped, making it hard to understand why anyone feels that an eight week old puppy is somehow too tiny for the procedure.

What about the swellings at the site of the microchips: can microchips cause cancer? This is a long-standing but ill-founded rumour.

Pete Wedderburn

It's true that there are rare reactions, which are recorded by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. In their 2014 report there were eight recorded events: in six of the cases small swellings developed at the site of implantation and one dog fainted after microchipping but made a full recovery. There was one unexplained death within 24 hours of microchipping, but even in this case, it could not be proven that the microchip was the cause.

What about the swellings at the site of the microchips: can microchips cause cancer? This is a long-standing but ill-founded rumour. It is true that there is a small risk of any inert foreign material causing inflammation in the body, which is the likely reason for the six dogs that developed swellings. Exceptionally rarely, chronic inflammation can then undergo transformation to cancer. This applies as much to surgical implants for any other reason as it does to microchips. It isn't regarded as a good reason to avoid the use of surgical implants, and nor should it be a reason to avoid microchips. The risk is tiny

People should be no more afraid of microchipping their pets than they are of using toasters in their kitchens. Compulsory microchipping – due to be implemented from April 6 - will bring many benefits to both dogs and owners: there's no good reason not to comply with the new legislation.

4 April 2016 • 5:00pm Telegraph Newspaper.

Mandatory microchipping is a definite step forwards for dogs in this country. First, microchips provide a legal bond between the owner and the animal, in the same way as an owner is linked to a car by registration documents. This makes it easier to hold an owner accountable for the actions of the dog if it's allowed to wander, if it bites someone, or if it causes damage to property.

2. Second, microchips will save the State money. 

If an animal escapes and gets lost, microchip identification ensures that it's rapidly reunited with its owner. In areas (such as New South Wales and Victoria in Australia) where compulsory microchipping has been introduced, the number of stray animals being put up in dog pounds has dropped significantly, with savings for local authority dog control budgets. Last year 110,000 stray dogs were picked up off the streets in England, of which 47,596 remained unclaimed in council kennels. Watch this figure fall in coming years as the effect of compulsory microchipping kicks in.

3. Third, microchips will reduce the risk of dog theft.

 Who would buy a black-market dog that carries the name and address of its original owner?

4. Fourth, compulsory microchipping will force breeders of unhealthy puppies to be held accountable for their actions.

Therfore reducing the incidence of irresponsible puppy farming. This was one of the main recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Dog Breeding in its report six years ago.

Once the new rules come into effect, if a dog without a

microchip comes to the attention of the authorities, its

keeper may be served with a notice requiring the dog to

be microchipped, and may face criminal prosecution and a

£500 fine if they do not comply with the notice. If this notice

is ignored then a fine of up to £500 can be issued or an

enforcer can seize the dog and microchip it at the keeper’s

expense.

In addition, if the breeder or subsequent keepers of the

dog do NOT update the dog’s details on a database that is

compliant with the regulations, then a notice may be served

requiring the keeper to microchip the dog within 21 days of

the served notice.

Pros

Easy to identify the pet if lost / stolen

Animal does not need to be put unconscious 

Animal is completely unaware / unaffected by the chip once inserted

Unlike tags or collars, microchips are securely in place

It is against the law not to fit your pet with one in England / Wales from April 2016 (can result in £500 fine)

Cons

Can cause the animal discomfort when being inserted

Chip could migrate away from insertion site, making them sometimes difficult to trace

Possibility that animal’s body may ‘reject’ the foreign body

There is no minimum age specified in

the regulations. However it is advised

that microchipping does not take place

before the puppy is 6 weeks old, and

it is a requirement that the puppy is

microchipped and recorded on a database

that is compliant with the new regulations,

such as Petlog, by the time it is 8 weeks

old. Therefore between 6 weeks and 8

weeks is the optimum time to get the puppy

microchipped, with 8 weeks being the legal

maximum (unless an exemption applies).

Most veterinarians will likely tell you that microchipping your pet is painless. But at my practice we would never even consider microchipping without some local anesthetic.

And I highly recommend that if your pet gets a microchip, you insist on anesthetic. No matter what you have been told, the procedure hurts -- the chip is inserted with a really big 12-gauge needle!