pet connection

It’s time for the annual New Year’s neck check. I started pushing for this tradition years ago, and I still believe it’s as important as ever. It’s like checking your smoke detector batteries twice a year when the time changes. Checking your pet’s collar and tags annually will ensure that an important safety measure is in place should you and your pet ever need it.

Why New Year’s? Because it’s easy to remember, and besides, what else are you going to do besides eat, drink and watch football?

Start your neck check with a look at your pet’s collar. A properly fitted collar is important, but so too is the right type. For dogs, a buckled or snap-together collar made of leather or nylon webbing is the best choice, and the proper fit is comfortably close but not too snug. Make sure your dog’s not routinely wearing a “choke” collar. These pose a life-threatening hazard if left on an unsupervised dog. Cats should wear a collar with an elastic section that will allow your pet to wriggle free if he gets caught on something.

If you do have the right kind of collar on your pet, take a minute to look at the holes and the fasteners. The collar is weakest at these spots, so if you see signs of excessive wear or strain, you’ll need to replace the collar soon.

If the collar passes muster, it’s time to look at the tags. A license is great, but since many lost pets are picked up by people in the neighborhood, it’s a good idea to supplement the license with an ID tag that has a couple of phone numbers — yours and the number of a friend or relative.

I never put a pet’s name on the tag; instead, I put the word “REWARD!” That’s because I know some people are motivated by goodwill and some by money. I don’t know what kind of person my lost pet will run into, so I cover the bases by appealing for help from both.

Whatever you put on the tag, check to make sure the information is current and legible, and if not, make a note to order a new tag right away. I’d also recommend adding a tag from a recovery service such as 1-800-HELP4PETS.

Don’t delay in fixing any problems you encounter during your pet’s neck check. Problems with collars and tags are easy to fix — and collars and tags are the cheapest insurance you can buy against loss or accidents.

A microchip is another form of identification well worth considering. The tiny transponder, about the size of a grain of rice, is inserted by a veterinarian over the shoulder blades of dogs and cats, or in the breast of birds, and serves as a permanent identification that cannot be slipped off or removed. My dogs and my parrot are all chipped.

Remember, though, that a microchip doesn’t take the place of ID tags. They complement each other, and even if your dog or cat is chipped, he should still wear visible ID.

This year, I jumped the gun on the neck check and got new collars for all. I did something a little different and ordered relective collars that have the ID information printed on them (they’re shown above). We’ll see how the legibility and visibility holds up after a few trips to the river.