Microchipping and why you should
I recently read a story in our local newspaper of a dog whom had been returned to his owners after an 8 year abesence due to microchipping. The dog appeared to have been stolen and years later ended up in a shelter and fortunately was returned to the original owner. Microchipping involves placing a little chip (had to be done under sedation) aprox in the shoulder blade area. A scanner (must like those used in grocery stores the hand held type) is used to scan the animals body for a chip. The information then comes up on the computer screen. The cost is minimal for the chip usually ranging in the 25 dollar range but the sedation is a bit more. Most of my animals were microchipped when they were neutered or spayed. In fact, most vets ask you at that time if you would like a tatoo or microchip done. I used to have the tatoo done but Merlin, Panda, Daisy and Paris are all microchipped. In conversation with others, I admitted that most vets would not necessarily check the animals coming in if the owners were present. However humane societies do or an animal that shows up at a vets office injured with no owner present. I should mention that not all vets to my knowledge have scanners. If your furball is stolen I believe you can ask for a notice to be placed on the microchip info as an alert. Other info is placed there as well for example if your pet has a medical alert of some kind and the pet needed emergency surgery and you were not around. Overall it's a good system. Merlin won his microchip when he was a pup at my Vets Open House and I redeemed it at a future date when he was being sedated. Just wish they would invent tiny GPS tracking for pets - perhaps that is in the future! Keeping my fingers crossed. Lastly, if your pet is microchipped please remember to inform the company or your vet if your address or phone number changes. Marianne and the boys |
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Wow, 8 years later. I bet they were so surprised. That's such a happy ending.  Jasper is microchipped too. The cheapest place I found here to do it was $150...sadly not many vets here microchip. Not enough demand, but they do have the scanners. We got it done before he left his breeders, and it was only like $30 up there! Crazy! |
| It's good the dog went to someone who loved him, and probably missed him, but he probably didn't think it was such a happy ending. He probably missed the family who had him the 8 years he was missing. I like tatoos, and proper id on collars. I know that if my girls got out they can be traced by anyone who finds them and not have to rely on technology that may or may not be accessible. I worry about the chip travelling too, which I know is rare, but it does happen. I know that collars can come off, but the id on their tags also has a website address which anyone can access, as well as contact phone numbers. The tags are registered through www.getmehome.com
My cats wear them too. |
Willowsprite wrote: It's good the dog went to someone who loved him, and probably missed him, but he probably didn't think it was such a happy ending. He probably missed the family who had him the 8 years he was missing. I like tatoos, and proper id on collars. I know that if my girls got out they can be traced by anyone who finds them and not have to rely on technology that may or may not be accessible. I worry about the chip travelling too, which I know is rare, but it does happen. I know that collars can come off, but the id on their tags also has a website address which anyone can access, as well as contact phone numbers. The tags are registered through www.getmehome.com
My cats wear them too. We did that too. Jasper has one through pettags.com. If he ever gets lost, the people who find him shouldn't have any trouble getting him back to us - unless they fall in love with our cutie and keep him.  Heck, even his collar has his name and our phone number on it. |
| Truman is microchipped, has his tag from the vet (the one they give for vaccinations) and we have another tag with his name, our names and phone number. I think we've covered all the bases! |
| No sedation for Pepsi. My Sister In Law, a Mini Schnauzer breeder injected the microchip with a small needle between the shoulder blades. I was told it then implants itself. The microchip was so tiny and the injection did not even make him flinch.
The cost was $25. She charges non family $30. Pepsi has the Avid Chip. |
| Hi Everyone,
Thanks for responding. Pepsi's Mommy good to see you back in here! I hadn't realized there is another method of implanting the chip..thanks for the info. Like Deskwench, and most of the posters I think the key is getting all the bases covered. I also have ID tags that have my pets name and phone number and have licences for the dogs. ( The parks people check the dog parks daily in the summer if dogs are licenced.) I think the key is ...no matter what form of ID an owner chooses..it's important for the info to be updated and the pet identified and returned to it's owners. Years ago when I moved to my area I did a weekend stint for an alarm company...yikes you wouldn't believe how many people forgot to give us the new contact info when they changed numbers. One night someone's business was on fire and all three contact numbers were no longer valid. Same thing happens frequently at the schools I work for - sick children and parents work numbers have changed and not updated. Apologies, I'm going on to another topic but just wanted to give examples of how important it is to have a up to date phone numbers. The Humane Society is full of pets (especially cats) with no form of ID on them whereas even a collar with a tag would help. Sounds like I'm preaching to the converted already however!! 
Marianne and the boys |
| Hi Marianne,
I am glad to be back.
I really like the idea of the microchip as extra protection. I had a Toy Poodle that got out and never came back. Obviously someone kept him. He had a brand new collar and license. I searched and searched for months for him. Also....the problem is dogs can loose their collars that's why I think the chip is so great. They can't lose it. I believe it increases the chance of getting your dog back. The website for Avid is http://www.avidmicrochip.com/ in case anyone wants to check it out. This is the one that is most widely used these days. It is the size of a grain of rice. Elissa |
I absolutely agree with Marianne. Collars can be removed or lost while microchipping helps prevents the unscrupulous from stealing our babies, and from the accidents of lost collars. I had Henry done and it was about $25. No sedation or stiches just a very tiny incision that I had touble even finding. I have some peace of mind knowing that if he is lost and turned in to shelter somewhere, they can find me. It is particularly helpful for me as Henry would go off with anyone anytime anywhere. Although my Little Boo is such a handful that if he were stolen, most people would pay me to take him back after a couple of days . . . .  |
| I've microchipped dogs. One must be careful not to microchip yourself! The chip is placed with the aid of a syringe and a large needle just under the skin, pinch, pull up skin and inject. Done wrong and the chip goes in your finger and that hurts because we have far more nerve endings than a dog does in the shoulder/neck area. Most dogs don't feel it, some do, but it's like an immunization, over and done quickly.
The chips can migrate a bit, moving down the shoulder, but most kennels/shelters know this and will scan neck and shoulders. Also there was a problem with several different chip companies and one not reading the other's chip. This is all being straightened out. The rescue group I was working with microchipped all dogs before adoption. The coughed up the money for the chips, reader and injecting syringes right up front. Our local shelters always microchip dogs that are adopted or rescued, it's part of the fee. Tatoos can be "erased" or worse.......and with our hair breed, overlooked." By all means, microchip, record the number, register with the company and keep the listing up to date. Also keep photographs of your pup in case you need to post them if the dog is lost. Tatoo and tags are good backup. Also check those collars and the tags regularly. I was shocked to find a tag in the middle of the yard, it had torn free from the collar. Yes, those metal tags can tear or crack. Forget the plastic tags, they last a year if you are lucky. |
| I have a question.
Jaspser's microchip is through Home Again. I went to their website www.homeagainid.com and tried to register his number. It cost a little under $18 to register it. Now, his tag has the phone number & his ID number. Do I have to put our information into that website and pay the $18, or do they already have the information in their database from getting microchipped at the vet? I know that the breeder sent his microchip info to the AKC pet recovery, because she photocopied the address and sent it to us. I'd just hate to have him microchipped and not have that info anywhere. TIA! |
| Abby is microchipped. I was afraid of the size of the needle so I had her chipped when she was under sedation. Since then I've seen the needle used for microchipping and it compares to the same size needle used to pierce a belly button (14 gauge) maybe even smaller. It did not hurt when I had my belly button pierced, so I think that in the future I would not wait until my dog was sedated to have it microchipped. The risk of losing a pet is not worth the slight discomfort of the injection.
There are fears that the chip will travel, but my vet checks her chip location on every visit. I also have a collar with tags, but when I am not home I don't leave a collar on her. When I was younger I had a puppy that hung himself with a collar and I am scared of leaving one on Abby. Besides, if a dog was stolen, the first thing that would be removed is the collar with the tags. |
| Gail,
Most likely the chip is registered to your vet if he is the one who chipped the dog. So if someone found your dog and contacted the chip company they would then contact the vet, who would then contact you. If you would rather have your information as the contact information you would need to register. Otherwise your Vet will be the main contact. If you keep your info up to date with the Vet and don't plan on switching Vets I think this is fine. But if you feel more comfortable with the contact being you then by all means have it changed. Elissa |
| Thanks. Considering it's not my vet, I think I better register my info there too. |
| I wonder how many pet owners have a false sence of security that their precious pet is safe and will be returned if lost and found, after being chipped. Just last week a friend of mine called the local shelter to inquire if Albert (his chipped male cat) was brought in. After informing the person on the other end of the phone that Albert has a Microchip, he was told that some of the animals brought in are not scanned because they are too wild, and suggested that he come in and have a look for himself.
Albert was there!!!! My friend was told that Albert had been scanned, the Vet. notified, and they were waiting for someone to pick Albert up and take him home. The Vet. never called my friend, claiming that he did not know how to reach him. Terrified Albert was one day away from being put to sleep. Sometimes the system just doesn't work. We all need to call 1-800-252-7894 (AKC Companion Animal Recovery) to enroll our Pet for $12.50, or to request an enrollment form. Most Vets. are not open on weekends or after 5:00PM weekdays, causing a considerable delay in contacting the owner of the lost and found animal. How many people think that because there pet has been chipped, all of the information needed to match you with your precious animal has been sent to AKC Companion Animal Recovery? Very few Vet's send the enrollment form in, they expect the owner to take care of it. Good Luck to Everyone--Rusty |
| In Australia now it is law to microchip your dogs, otherwise you suffer severe fines. Anyone having a litter, all pups must be microchipped before going off to there new owners. All rescue, pounds, council run pounds etc have the same scanning device now all over Australia to scan for pets that end up in the shelters etc for microchips.
My girls are done as now also through the National Kennal Council here no eye/hips certificates issued etc without a microchip number identifying that this is the correct dog going under x-rays or examinations etc. You can't register a litter etc without a microchip Number for both the sire and dam and that is law by next year. No drama having one inserted, just a jab between the shoulder blades and it is done. Non of mine even flinched at it. Better then a collar or even a tattoo in the ear as that can fade in time, always a permanent indentification there forever on a dog. Also helps with people that dump there dogs as they can be caught now!! All cats and dogs in Australia must be microchipped by the start of 2008. I think it is wonderful as there is no mistaken identity, if an animal is dumped then the owner can be traced and prosecuted etc. etc, so it will help with the stray population and also make a permanent reminder to people that own animals, that an animal is for life and has a permanent marker there on it to who the owners are. |
| One night my husband was at the dog park and ran into another guy with an OES, so of course they got to talking. This man had the OES named Bob from the time he was a puppy, and had him chipped. A few years later the man got a job offer in Europe, and decided not to take his dog. He arranged for his sister and brother in law in CA to be Bob's new family. He went to Europe for two years then came back to AZ. One day he gets a call from his mom - she received a call from a shelter in CA that had Bob. It looked like he had been a stray for a long time. He called his brother in law to ask how Bob was, and he said "oh, he got out a while ago, don't know where he is". So they guy drove to CA, picked up his dog and brought him home to AZ. Lucky Bob, if it weren't for the chip this guy never would have known that Bob needed him. |
| I had Bunker chipped and Tattooed in 2 places when she was spayed. Her ear has been Tattooed as well as her belly. She also has the tags from the vet and a tag on her collar that says, CALL MY MOMMY and my phone number. |
| Lisa that's great that Australia has made the microchip so successful. Here I don't think that is the case. Many shelters don't check for microchips at all.
Plus, there was a dog in a shelter in Ohio I think not too long ago, and when I emailed them to mention they should check for a micrchip or tattoo to see where the dog came from and perhaps contact the breeder, I was told they don't do that even if they do know where the dog came from because they have no way of telling if that breeder is reputable or not. If shelters won't contact owners or breeders because they don't know if that owner is a good owner, what is the point of chipping at all? |
| Hi,
It's ironic that I wrote this post in Feb and Merlin went missing for 24 hrs in June. Regular members remember my panic as to where he was. The lady that found him didn't have him checked but through knocking on a gazillion doors and posters I got him back the next day. Still, I'm a firm believer in microchips. Marianne and the boys |
| Jasper is microchipped, Joy isn't YET. Joy has a tattoo from when she was spayed though, Jasper doesn't. They both have collars with their names and our phone number on it. They both have ID tags and wear their rabies tag. That's all I know to do if either of them ever do get lost.
I had a mini. schnauzer that got away once. He was found over a hour away from my house, and the only way I got him back was the lady called the vet on our rabies tag. She gave him Sampson's rabies tag number, and the vet's office gave her my phone number. She called us, and I'd never been so happy to get a phone call in my life. He had been missing about two weeks then. I thought he was gone forever. |
| I had Daisy microchipped (by injection which she was not too pleased about) when she was about 6 mos old, and registered it w/ Home Again. When we moved to Nashville, I remembered to change my contact info w/ them and did leave a forwarding address w/ the oldvet. I know not everyone checks for chips, but I figured that anything I could do to improve the chances of getting her back if she was lost was worth it. By the time I paid the vet and registered her w/ Home Again, it cost me about $100.
Nashville Humane Assoc is having a microchip clinic this Sat and I will be taking Ollie in to be chipped as well - cost is $20. I have had tattooing recommended as well as the chip but haven't had that done yet - still considering it though. It certainly increases the chances of them being returned if they are lost or stolen> |
| The rescue I got my Basset Hound from does AVID chipping on all dogs going through the rescue - started doing this in 2006. Prior to this year, we had the opportunity to get it done at the annual fundraiser for the rescue. The cost is only $20 and the money goes back to the rescue(the vet and tech volunteer). I had Simon's done last year. He didn't even flinch.
When I brought him into the vet this spring, they saw his AVID tag on his collar and scanned him. It was so cool to see his number pop up on the screen. His contact info through AVID lists our home, our vet and the rescue. I got a card this year from AVID asking if the contact info they had was correct and current. It could be changed for a fee. He also wears his regular ID tag, and his rescue tag. |
got sheep wrote: The rescue I got my Basset Hound from does AVID chipping on all dogs going through the rescue - started doing this in 2006. Prior to this year, we had the opportunity to get it done at the annual fundraiser for the rescue. The cost is only $20 and the money goes back to the rescue(the vet and tech volunteer). I had Simon's done last year. He didn't even flinch.
When I brought him into the vet this spring, they saw his AVID tag on his collar and scanned him. It was so cool to see his number pop up on the screen. His contact info through AVID lists our home, our vet and the rescue. I got a card this year from AVID asking if the contact info they had was correct and current. It could be changed for a fee. He also wears his regular ID tag, and his rescue tag. I wish our rescue did that. The vets charge about $150 here, and the humane society doesn't do it, which is why Joy hasn't been chipped yet. It's hasn't been in the budget just yet, and it doesn't surprise me that microchipped animals are rare here. Most people don't spend money like that on their dogs here.  |
| Check with your local (non-chain) pet store; ours held a clinic in conjunction with a local vet; the microchiping was $12 in advance, $15 "at-the-door." |
Ron wrote: Check with your local (non-chain) pet store; ours held a clinic in conjunction with a local vet; the microchiping was $12 in advance, $15 "at-the-door."
The only pet store around the area is PetSmart, and it's a hour away, lol Other than that, we have to depend on vet's offices, wal-mart, or k-mart for pet supplies. Good idea though! Well, there is one called Gone Fishin', but they only sell fish, birds, and rodents. I used to work right beside them for 5 years, and they don't have any special events like that. |
| Incredible micro-chipping stories! Bingley is 'chipped and we have been considering having our kitties done, too, in case they ever got outside of the house. It is a great system that I believe will continue to improve. |
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