Microchipping

[Scarlette]

Microchipping: the Ultimate Identity?
How Microchips Work
Microchips are tiny transponders, about the size of a grain of rice. They consist of a miniaturized coil and a memory circuit encased in biocompatible glass, and are small enough to fit in a hypodermic syringe. Your veterinarian or other technician implants the microchip just under the skin between the shoulder blades, and the whole procedure takes only a minute or so. The chip's memory circuit contains a unique number registered to your cat, which can be read by special scanners found in many veterinary offices and shelters.


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[Scarlette]

Does anyone here have their pet microchipped? I've been thinking about having my dog done and was curious of everyone's opinions and experiences.

[purpzey]

My new puppy is microchipped. It seems pretty good to me. If I touch the microchip below her skin she's not bothered. However, I beleive for me it was included in the price of the pup so as a result it wasn't an additional cost.

However, as mentioned most people would not bring it to the vet to be checked for a microchip. So IMO I think a regular old tag on a collar with the dogs name and your address is probably best for keeping it close to home.

[RSbunny]

I have my dog with a collar and tag and a microchip. So many times dogs slip out of their collars and then they have no identification. It is pretty much illegal to not have your dog microchipped here!! If your dog is microchipped and registered and ends up at the pound they charge you $30 to get it out...if it's not it's $500!!!
We get so many strays in at work that aren't microchipped and have no collars. If they are we ring the petline and the owner gets contacted straight away!!! I wouldn't be without a microchip!

[Chinchilla_Girl]

My dogs have their tags rivited to their collars to prevent them from falling off...they are also microchipped. A friend of mine had a puppy chipped and when he got out of her fence, Animal Control picked him up...if it wasn't for the fact that he was chipped, she probably would never have gotten him back. Just remember to update the chip info when you move or change phone numbers

[piggiemommy]

Lady wears a harness with her tags but she was also microchipped before I got her. I'm having a difficult time getting her microchip info updated because of how she was acquired (puppy mill auction), but I definitely like the idea of microchipping!

[primabella]

Mickey has his tags and is tatooed but he isn't microchipped. But I have heard really good things about it. My teachers cat is microchipped and it helps her out a lot because her cat gets loose a lot.

I guess there's really no harm in getting it done, right? You've got nothing to loose. (Except some money..)

[CBR_Rescue]

I microchip all my dogs. I am also considering microchipping all my fosters too. This way, they'll (hopefully) be returned to me if anything were to ever happen. It's really an easy procedure and can save your dogs life if ever needed.

[Chrisanne]

My dogs are all microchipped. In addition to having their collars and tags. It has come in handy for us before. I would not have my pet not chipped.

If your pet becomes missing and you notify the vets and local shelters of such they are required to scan all animals meeting the description.

[Deja]

Jack was microchipped at his first vet visit when we got him - oh so many years ago - in Charlotte. I never switched his information to New Jersey when we moved back up here. I really should do that. It is totally irresponsible of me to let it go this long without updating the information. Since his chip is old and came from the first generation of chips and in a different part of the country I was told I might have to "re-chip" him - I really need to find out the proper information and get off my butt and do whatever I have to do.

I'm wondering - now that he is a senior citizen, I feel a small lump where the microchip was implanted - I am assuming it's only scar tissue and my vet has backed that up - does anyone else have a dog that has been microchipped for a very long time (Jack is almost 9)? Can you feel where the chip is now?

Since Max is a hunting dog and will be doing Hunting Trials soon - He is getting chipped at his next vet visit. The only reason why it hasn't been done sooner is because my husband wanted him to be tattooed (yet, didn't and can't find someone to do it!) - and I want him chipped. I won that arguement recently

They always wear their collars with their town License and Rabies tags on and our phone number on the underside of the collar. They are contained with Invisible Fencing and they don't run away.

I won't do anything with the Remster - she doesn't go outside very much. I can't let her outside with the others because at 3 pounds - around here? She's prey!

[dappledoxie]

I really would like to get mine all microchipped soon. It's a pretty good extra help to make sure they get home if something did happen.

[PaBabyBlue]

I have my B&T Coonhound microchipped and will soon be getting my English Mastiff microchipped when we get him neutered. We also have their collars with licenses and ID tags, as as added measure. I like the idea, just in case.
Did anyone hear if the scanners work in reading the microchips though? Not all scanners will read all company's microchips, unless the animal shelter or veterinarian has that microchip company's scanner or a universal scanner. It makes it look like the dog or cat doesn't have a microchip. I use AVID for my microchips.

[piggiemommy]

Lady has an AVID chip and the scanner at my vet's office doesn't read AVID chip numbers, but it did show up that it was an AVID chip, so they said they just need to borrow an AVID scanner from another office. I would assume even if other scanners don't recognize the numbers from different companies they would at least recognize the company name. I haven't heard of any not detecting a chip at all that was definitely there.

For those of you who have gotten chips for your pets, how much was it for the chip and inserting it?

What's the most common brand chip used currently?

[Wisdom]

snook has a microchip hes the fisrt dog i have had that has one, it relaxes me cuz i know theres one extra mathod to keep him safe! i reccomend it!
love,
shannon

[Tilt]

AJ and Houdini are both microchipped, though I wasn't around when they were microchipped. I had my pups, Myrl and Levi, microchipped as soon as I got them. Levi didn't seem bothered by it (he acted like the vet had poked him and wanted to poke back) but when Myrl was microchipped, the vet was very rough and he bled a LOT. She kind of stabbed him with the injector and he yelped and his white fur turned red. It was horrible. I wanted to stab her! But at least the vet who microchipped Levi was gentle.

I'm totally for microchipping, even with the one bad time. And I know tons of instants where microchips brought an animal back home.