would you microchip your dog?

Southpaw

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#21
Uhh this reminded me that we were planning on getting Juno chipped when she got spayed... and she got spayed 2 days ago and we completely forgot.. :doh:

It's not something that I would say NEEDS to be done. Lucy's not microchipped and it was not my idea to have Juno chipped (which probably won't happen now that we've missed the best opportunity). But hey, it certainly doesn't hurt to have it done.
 

Toller_08

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#23
None of my dogs are chipped. I've thought here and there about maybe getting it done, but it hasn't happened. They all have tattoos and ID tags.
 

stardogs

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#24
I work at a shelter that 1. scans all incoming dogs (about 9000/yr) and 2. chips all adopted animals. We also often have people come in to scan found dogs - it's a free service we happily offer. Chips have reunited dogs lost for years - just recently we had one come in that had been missing for 3! (and his stupid "owner" didn't want him back :( )

All four of mine are chipped - three with PetWatch because they came from work and one with HomeAgain. Maggie's had hers the longest - going on 6years I think - and we've had no issues with migration, etc.

A chip is permanent and pretty reliable ID - the same can't be said for tags (get lost), embroidered collars (come undone, get snagged, are removed), tattoos (often hard to trace), etc. I'll never not chip one of my animals, even despite *working* at the only animal shelter in our county (i.e. I'd see them if they came in after being lost), because the benefits so outweigh the risks imo.

It does surprise me how many people are afraid of chipping an animal not under anesthesia. The shelter I work at holds chipping clinics and all the animals are fully awake - very few react any more than they do to the rabies vaccines! Yea it's a big needle, but anesthesia is hard on an animal as well.
 

eddieq

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#25
Xena is chipped. We had it done at about 6 months old. When we go to the vets for a checkup, we periodically ask them to scan her to ensure that the chip is still functioning.
 

Zoom

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#26
I've thought about having Sawyer done but haven't...more inclined to have him tattooed when he's under for his epulus removal. Joe Schmo down the street might not think to check for a microchip, but he's sure going to notice a tattoo. The possible link for cancer worries me some as well.

Sawyer is unique enough looking that with the 23479348935 pictures I have of him, I'm pretty sure I can prove he's mine should the situation ever arise.
 

Juicy

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#27
No microchip here either, but Pepe does have a tattoo.

As for mix-ups at the shetler, my dogs are mutts and I doubt it they have any look-alikes, so I for sure can proof with pics and I know things about them that other people cannot point out and claim its their dogs, like the fact that I know how many nipples each of my dogs have.
 

Romy

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#28
Both our dogs are chipped. All of our future dogs will be as well. IMO, the risk of being stolen or lost vs. the virtually non existent and unproven "link" to cancer definitely outweighs the benefits vs. the potential drawbacks.

As far as chip migration, everyone I have ever seen scans the entire dog's body. That's what the tech did with the bull terrier, and what they did before putting a chip in Charlie and Strider to make sure they weren't double chipping.

Neither of our dogs acted like they even noticed it go in. Strider was like "pet meh!" and Charlie just stared blankly into space with nary a flinch. They don't usually wear collars in the yard (Charlie already destroyed two of Strider's ID collars and I was worried one of them would end up strangling the way they wrestle) so a chip seems like a pretty ideal thing.

We had a german shepherd, my first dog ever, stolen while living in Tucson. She is chipped, and I update the info whenever we move. That was 3 years ago. but I keep hoping that some day, some how maybe she'll escape or go to the vet and make her way back to us. Or if she has found herself with a loving non-thief family in the meantime, I would love to know that she is happy and safe. The chip gives me a sliver of hope for closure. Without it we'd pretty much be screwed as far as ever seeing her again.
 

Romy

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#29
As for mix-ups at the shetler, my dogs are mutts and I doubt it they have any look-alikes, so I for sure can proof with pics and I know things about them that other people cannot point out and claim its their dogs, like the fact that I know how many nipples each of my dogs have.
But, if your dog is lost or stolen and someone cares for them for several months before you find out where they are, they are going to have pics and vet records too. A chip sticks with the animal with your info forever.
 

BostonBanker

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#30
It does surprise me how many people are afraid of chipping an animal not under anesthesia. The shelter I work at holds chipping clinics and all the animals are fully awake - very few react any more than they do to the rabies vaccines! Yea it's a big needle, but anesthesia is hard on an animal as well.
Well, I'm certainly not putting my dog under anesthesia to be chipped; it would be an "if they are already under for X, I'll consider having it done then."

I have a dog who is very soft-tempered and gets scared and shut down easily. She currently is okay at the vets; I don't want the risk of something hurting and scaring her and requiring tons of rehab to get her back to the point where she is comfortable with the clinic.

And while I agree the cancer link is pretty shaky, I simply hesitate to inject a foreign body into my dogs body that will remain there forever. Same reason I'll never have an IUD or anything like that. I have a lifetime's worth of metal plates and screws in my jaw, but it was a medical necessity.

Vet records, trial records, photos from when she was younger, adoption paperwork...I've no doubt I can prove Meg is mine should she turn up somewhere. I've even made a point to take pictures of things like her large freckle on her belly and her white spots to have those available, although now that I've lost my photos, I suppose I need to redo them.
 

Giny

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#31
Boomer is the only one that is chipped, I did this after he got out of our fenced in yard and someone took off with him. Since then I had him chipped and wears and id.

As for sedating them, Boomer usually quite a wimp but did not say boo when the vet inserted the chip in him. I couldn't see having to put him under for something like that. If he was going under another procedure then getting it done at the same time would be a good idea.

I might get Kassie and Tilly done later. Boomer, due to his need to get out and roam, seem more urgent at the moment.
 

JoeLacy

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#32
Peyton is chipped and carries 3 id tags. Her rabies, her AVID and her own with 4 telephone numbers. Her collar is always on except when she gets a bath and is never left outside without someone being with her.

She didn't react at all when she was chipped. It was done at the shelter. It was my understanding that it was mandatory like being spayed. I was there when it was done, it's about the size of a grain of large rice and have seen no ill effects.
 

Lilavati

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#33
Both dogs and both cats are chipped.

I didn't see Sarama or Shadow chipped. Firdaus made a fuss, but she always does with shots. Docket also made a fuss . . . but Docket always makes a fuss at any kind of physical discomfort . . . so in terms of the experience . . . I missed the two stoics getting their's.

Two of those chips were mandatory . . . the others were volintary . . its not very expensive, especially if you go to microchip clinic at your local shleter or breed club (I've seen both). Even doing it at the vet wasn't too bad.
 

Boemy

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#34
All my cats were chipped (this reminds me I have to finish changing Shadow's info to ACampbell's on her chip) and so was my mom's cat, Phantom. Shadow and Phantom are small cats (7 - 8lbs) and didn't react to the needle any more than they would have a vaccination shot. I honestly don't think it hurts any more than those.

Whenever I donate blood they haul out this big needle with this HUGE scary gap at the end, but . . . it doesn't actually hurt much when they slide it in. Bigger needles just look scarier. :)

My dog, when I got her microchipping wasn't that common. The shelter we got her from tattooed her hip. I've got to wonder, though, if she had been lost and ended up in a shelter . . . who the heck is going to check on the inner hip for a tattoo? Her hair had grown back over it so they would have had to shave her, practically, to see it.
 

Cheetah

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#36
Shippo is microchipped. I adopted Eevee before the shelters started microchipping as a common practice. I might chip her during a dental, although I can't imagine her running off, ever.
 

PoodleMommy

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#37
None of my animals are.

I *almost* adopted a chipped dog, so if someone else did it, I would live with it but I wont do it myself.

I dont like the idea of a chip in my dog and I am not convinced that it will not cause problems down the road.
 

eddieq

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#39
You have to pay a yearly fee? What did it initially cost to chip her out of curiosity.
I saw that too. There was an upfront cost to get the chip put in. When I registered it with "Homeagain", they offered a service for 15 bucks annually to provide alerts and such through email everytime the chip was scanned. I just didn't do that. I have her profile registered and I can still access it with the free reg.
 

darkchild16

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#40
Walker is chipped He got chipped at a few weeks when he left the shelter (the shelter said 3 mths i say bs honestly,) and he didnt even flinch

Scirocco cant be since he has no body fat, he does have tatoos in both ears too.

Patches was done when we got her.

and the 2 little ones at moms dont because Whisper has no body fat either and Guiness will get done when mom gets another job.
 
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