Microchipping....yes or no?

ginnie5 · #1 08/20/12, 08:48 AM

I've never microchipped a dog before. But after the incident with Reece and the lady saying that her next step was to take her to a vet and have her checked for a microchip I'm wondering about it.
She's scheduled to be spayed in September and if I do it then it will only cost me $10. Of course if she got hit by a car and killed it would be useless but if she just got lost it might get her home again. The lady who found her said that would be her next step...to have her checked for a microchip.
So what are your thoughts on it?

**beccachow** · #2 08/20/12, 09:30 AM

YES yes yes.

You can try to keep them contained, but every dog will probably get out and run at some point. A microchip is your best line of defense if someone catches her and claims she is his, or if someone simply doesn't know where she came from. The Humane Society checks lost dogs for this.

It is quick and painless, and well worth the money.

Yes Yes Yes, do it.

tailwagging · #3 08/20/12, 10:10 AM

I microchip even animal I keep. (well not poultry)
It helps if they get lost and end up at a vets or AC
BUT it can not be used as prof of ownership.

**beccachow** · #4 08/20/12, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tailwagging

I
BUT it can not be used as prof of ownership.

I see, so a person could claim you gave them/sold them the dog.

Still, it has to count for something if someone is claiming the dog as theirs, doesn't it?

tailwagging · #5 08/20/12, 10:25 AM

no, not really. like you said they can claim they got it from you. the only thing it does do is ID the animal and if it is lost and found and they want to find you they can. IF you keep the info updated.

GrannyCarol · #6 08/20/12, 11:56 AM

In these days of "big brother", where the state wants to watch and control all that we do, I am against microchipping on the grounds that the time will come when we are called to be chipped as well and it is likely that one of the arguments will be that it was safe for our animals, so it is safe for us. No thank you.

Over the decades I've had animals, I've had a couple of dogs get away, one came home after a few days out in the field, I never saw the other again. I don't know that a chip would have helped, she was likely killed by coyotes. We searched for both of them, it was very hard. We live in town now, but escaping hasn't been a problem here. Yes, I would hate to lose a dog, but in my heart I have to take my puny stand against microchipping. My current puppy will be tattooed with her AKC number.

bluemoonluck · #7 08/20/12, 12:11 PM

If your dog is an escape artist, you should microchip AND tattoo, just in case.

I worked at an animal shelter in the mid-90's and we had to check all incoming stray dogs for tattoos (insides of both back legs and insides of both ears) and scan for microchips. We had a handful of dogs come in with one ear cut off

, where the initial owner had used a clamp-style tattoo machine to tattoo inside the ear, and to remove this evidence of ownership someone had cut the ear off

I also saw probaby 15-20 different dogs who had tattoos inside their rear legs, but someone had taken a tattoo gun and marked over it over and over so you couldn't read it and it was just a big black blob.

While I've heard stories of people surgically removing microchips, its very very rare. You'd pretty much have to have a vet on board to do it without killing the dog, the scars would be pretty evident, and I think most of those stories circulating around are urban legend.

I microchip all my dogs. I don't bother with tattoos, because they are too easy to alter or cover up. Regardless, I'm a firm believer in having either/or/both done, in case your dog slips its collar. Not only for identification purposes, but because animal shelters typically have to hold dogs with any kind of signs of ownership (collar, microchip, tattoo) for longer than they have to hold a dog that comes in with nothing, to give the owner a chance to locate the dog. Those extra few days can be the difference between being PTS or located, and that makes it worth it IMO.

MDKatie · #8 08/20/12, 12:25 PM

Absolutely yes. I can't really think of a good reason not to, especially if it's only $10.

AJohnston · #9 08/20/12, 02:01 PM

Out here, the most important thing for us is collars... Most of these small towns don't check for microchips and most people won't bother with your dog at all if its out running the streets. We keep bright colored collars on all of our dogs with reflective tape, that way if they go missing, we can tell everyone what color collar they are wearing and that they are easy to spot because they are reflective. I've honestly considered microchipping because of loosing their collars. But I honestly doubt that anyone in our area would even scan for a microchip. So it seems like it would go to waste... Then again, if I could find someone to microchip for that cheap of a price, I'd probably jump right on that.

akane · #10 08/20/12, 02:47 PM

We have escape artist spitz breeds so definitely microchip. One day hiking on a bike path in the middle of nowhere with the dogs working on bike pulling training somehow the smaller one got dog poop on her collar from the other one when she stopped and caused a tangle. I pulled the collar off to avoid spreading the mess. That left them in their harnesses but only one harness had a tag on it. Another 100' or so down the trail they tangled up a tree and somehow her harness clip pressed against the tree and released (we now tie everything on). So I have a small dog who does not come despite 3 years of obedience training because she's a spitz breed running loose on 100s of acres of woodland with no ID but a microchip. Luckily she's friendly and found some bikers to greet who held on to her but if we hadn't happened to take that same trail and find them we never would have seen her again unless they checked her for a microchip.

I've checked several friendly stray cats for microchips but never do find any. Most people don't check cats so most people don't chip cats so most people don't check cats.

oregon woodsmok · #11 08/20/12, 03:36 PM

I just talked to someone who had their dog stolen 2 years ago and just got it back because it ended up in a shelter and was scanned for a microchip.

I've heard a lot of stories like that.

Or a pup was sold and years later ended up at a shelter and the breeder was contacted and was able to go and pick the dog up.

I'm all for microchip. It's some pretty good proof of ownership. Your name would be on the dog's records at the vet and your number embedded in the dog. Most thieves will give up at that point.

It positively identifies your dog with his rabies shot record and sometimes that is important.

Minelson · #12 08/20/12, 04:40 PM

I'm for it..especially if it's done while Reece is being spayed. It is a very large needle and I hate doing it on dogs that are awake....
Even though it's really a small town vet we have had many strays that did have a chip and we were able to find the owners right away. Also the humane society in the closest large city chips all dogs before adopting them out. So a lot of dogs do have chips. I think it's a great program and I wish I would have done Rocky & Boris when I had them neutered.

gapeach · #13 08/20/12, 07:31 PM

My dog was micro chipped by the shelter that we got her from. Pluto was micro chipped by our local Humane Society where he was adopted from. I guess most rescue dogs are chipped now. In our cases, the shelters know who they were adopted to. We have name tags on them too as well as their Rabies tag. Hopefully neither one of ours will ever be out on their own. Both have been outside off leash and they stay very close to us.

ginnie5 · #14 08/20/12, 08:09 PM

well then I guess Reece will get the chip. I won't do Scrappy.....she's too old to be put thru it and Peanut belongs to dd so that will be her choice. But since he's already been neutered I doubt she will.

**gone-a-milkin** · #15 08/20/12, 08:16 PM

My own dogs are not microchipped but I do have a good story about some dogs that were dumped here.

Some folks who were obviously moving household pulled into the state owned land across from my house.
They dumped out 3 tiny house dogs and drove away.
A chi cross, a JRT, and another small and ancient little white fluffy one.

My mom took them all to the pound (50 miles from here) and it turned out 2 of them had chips.
What had happened was the woman who owned the dogs had gotten her brother to help her move and he decided not to take the dogs.

He had already told her they 'ran away' during the move too.

But she got them back!!!

Imagine having a crappy brother like that?

akane · #16 08/20/12, 08:30 PM

Chipping while awake isn't that bad. We had my akita's breeder get in an extra chip with her next litter so it cost next to nothing and do our shiba puppy with no sedation. The shiba is a drama queen and didn't even squeak. We expected all out screaming. The only thing I know of that they won't do without sedation are things the size of small birds such as I looked in to getting our lineolated parakeet chipped which is a bit broader and squatter than a common parakeet. They have to sedate them and it's considered too risky. Sugar gliders and small mammals have to be sedated as well and it isn't worth it. No size of dog should have a problem with it.

gapeach · #17 08/20/12, 08:31 PM

That is just awful!

I am referring to the crappy brother.

TedH71 · #18 08/20/12, 08:35 PM

Mine are microchipped due to their value as hog hunting dogs and I plan to get them cold branded on the hind leg in the most prominent area as well. Problem solved.

Minelson · #19 08/20/12, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akane

Chipping while awake isn't that bad. We had my akita's breeder get in an extra chip with her next litter so it cost next to nothing and do our shiba puppy with no sedation. The shiba is a drama queen and didn't even squeak. We expected all out screaming. The only thing I know of that they won't do without sedation are things the size of small birds such as I looked in to getting our lineolated parakeet chipped which is a bit broader and squatter than a common parakeet. They have to sedate them and it's considered too risky. Sugar gliders and small mammals have to be sedated as well and it isn't worth it. No size of dog should have a problem with it.

We do it un-sedated all the time at the clinic. Some react some don't ... just like with nail trims and shots. I'm just saying that if the dog is already under for a neuter..that would be a good time to do it.

SageLady · #20 08/21/12, 04:37 AM

Had my youngest dog microchipped when she was spayed at 8 months old.

I'm not going to microchip my 2 old dogs though... I think it might be traumatic for them, especially my tiny chihuahua. The needle to microchip looks almost bigger than him!

tailwagging · #21 08/21/12, 02:47 PM

Don't worry sagelady all my chihuahuas are chipped, many as young pups.

akane · #22 08/21/12, 04:06 PM

That's the type of people I was commenting to. It is not too stressful for old or small dogs.

Maura · #23 08/21/12, 04:34 PM

For ten dollars I'd have it done.

Be aware that a microchip can move as the puppy grows, so a shoulder chip could end up in the hip. Down the road, a puppy microchipped should be checked during a routine examination just so you know if the chip moved.

tailwagging · #24 08/21/12, 04:35 PM

I think the oldest that we had done was 12years.

lexa · #25 08/23/12, 12:14 PM

All of my dogs were mirochipped because I believe that it does help dogs get home. So I say yes to microchip but only if you follow it up with registration with company and maintaining your records with them, making sure they have your new address and pnone number if those change.
Unless you register your dog witht the company like Home Again, microchip will only be tractable to the vet clinic who purchased it. I have found a blood hound that was microchipped and through AC found vet office where it was inserted since company had no info. They could not figure out who he was - because who ever put in chip number in computer made a typo. I insisted that they do a search by breed in their program and try to figure out who he might be. At first they told me that it was not possible but I kept insisting since I have experience with recorind keeping programs like theirs. If I did not insist they that they try to find his owner, crochip would not have helped him. I also have spend half of my work day doing long distance calls trying to find dogs owners by tracing number from out of state rabies tag. Most people would not put that much effort in finding dogs owners.

hardworkingwoman · #26 08/25/12, 07:13 PM

Dr Katherine Albrecht has done extensive research on microchipping animals. It has been proven that it causes cancer in the area of where the microchip has been placed. Here is the website on this issue. I hope it helps.

chipmenot.com-homepage

akane · #27 08/25/12, 08:42 PM

Some of mine have avid chips and they have my info recorded not just the vet. I actually prefer the avid chip info keeping.

BaronsMom · #28 08/27/12, 11:08 AM

My dog is microchipped - has had the chip for 8 years, no cancer (he is about 11 yrs old). I will be getting our puppy microchipped when she goes in for spay at 1 yr.

ne prairiemama · #29 08/29/12, 04:58 PM

We don't. Just not comfy with it. We do collar and tag though.

lexa · #30 08/31/12, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akane

Some of mine have avid chips and they have my info recorded not just the vet. I actually prefer the avid chip info keeping.

Someone had to give it to them. From their faq page: If my pet is found, how does the shelter know to contact me?

When a shelter finds a pet with a microchip they will call AVID. If the pet is registered with AVlD's recovery network, PETtrac, the shelter will be given the owner's name. If the pet is not registered, they will be given the name of the veterinarian who injected the microchip. The veterinarian will provide the owner's latest information.
Some vets include pet registration in the fee and some do not. I bought the EU required chip myself so the company has only my info.
He was recheaped at 15 months and even though he is a wuss, he did not flinge. It is one of those procedures that is more traumatic to owners than pets.