Microchips

[caseysmom]

Well I had my third trip to the vet in one week. Today was just routine shots for Casey since they didn't want to do them last week when she had her dental.

While I was there I noticed their microchip reader so I asked if they could try to find casey's chip. She was chipped when I rescued her from the shelter, Bubba I had done at my vet. They could not get the chip to show up, I asked them to chip her again. They do the chip with the old technology and the new in case she gets taken into a vet with only the old reader.

I had never watched the chip put in before, it took a lot of pressure, it was pretty gross. I watched when they read it and it did seem to take them a while, it makes me wonder how many dogs are chipped and it doesn't show up.

[3muttsandaboston]

I honestly think chips are pretty pointless. Not many people if they find your lost dog are going to take it to the vet and get it checked for a chip. I just keep tags with my phone number on my dogs 24/7 so they can always be returned to me and this has saved my dogs about 4 times...

[caseysmom]

I honestly think chips are pretty pointless. Not many people if they find your lost dog are going to take it to the vet and get it checked for a chip. I just keep tags with my phone number on my dogs 24/7 so they can always be returned to me and this has saved my dogs about 4 times...

Thats what I figure too but my friend found a stray and she did take it in, there are good people. I don't leave their collars on when they are in the house though, maybe I should.

[Catlady711]

Well I had my third trip to the vet in one week. Today was just routine shots for Casey since they didn't want to do them last week when she had her dental.

While I was there I noticed their microchip reader so I asked if they could try to find casey's chip. She was chipped when I rescued her from the shelter, Bubba I had done at my vet. They could not get the chip to show up, I asked them to chip her again. They do the chip with the old technology and the new in case she gets taken into a vet with only the old reader.

I had never watched the chip put in before, it took a lot of pressure, it was pretty gross. I watched when they read it and it did seem to take them a while, it makes me wonder how many dogs are chipped and it doesn't show up.

Wow, I've never seen a chip stop working before. Do you happen to recall which brand of chip Casey had originally? We only carry the Home Again brand where I work and last year got the newer ones and reader to go with it. We still have our older reader.

I'm a bit confused with your vet inserting two chips. I thought the old readers could still read the new chips. I thought that it just couldn't decipher the specific codes to give you the more detailed chip number, but would show there was a chip from another manufacturer there. That's how our old one workes with the new chips. Maybe that's just with the Home Again brand ones?

[caseysmom]

I just went and got caseys collar...both dogs got excited for a walk Her original chip was home again. I am not sure why they gave both chips, I guess that is just their policy.

This is from their brochure "with both chips implanted, your pet has security as longs as the shelter is using either scanner to scan for microchips today, tomorrow, or 10 years from now"

[Giselle]

The chips don't necessarily stop working, but they can "float" around the body. Floating chips

But, yes, that does happen a lot, which is why I need to remind myself to get theirs checked every once in a while. It's always best to err on the side of caution, but it does worry me sometimes...

[wolf_Q]

Would a dog gaining weight affect the chip being able to be read? I'm just wondering if maybe there is more tissue above the chip than when it was inserted, if that could make it harder to read.

Nebo had a microchip put when he was neutered as a pup. I had them check it a while ago, I think last summer, and they were able to read it just fine, it beeped immediately. Keva has a microchip too, it was put in when she was spayed. I haven't had them check to see if they can read it yet.

I keep collars on them with tags too, I would think that most people would only look for tags...but if there's the chance they took the dog to a vet/shelter they'd scan for a microchip. I think its a good back-up.

I do worry about the different brands of micro-chip and if they had the right scanner though...mine are both Avid, not Home Again.

[caseysmom]

The chips don't necessarily stop working, but they can "float" around the body. Floating chips

But, yes, that does happen a lot, which is why I need to remind myself to get theirs checked every once in a while. It's always best to err on the side of caution, but it does worry me sometimes...

They mentioned that but they did move the scanner all over, it is 4.5 years old or they said it could have come out the same hole that same day. I have never had it checked.

[lute]

I don't have my dogs microchipped. It's not very commonly used around where I live.

[chocolatepuppy]

My Layla and Jake are both microchipped. I had Layla done with Avid at my vets. Her's seems to have moved a bit when I had it checked. Jake was chipped at the shelter with Home Again and my vets were able to read it.
I had Layla chipped after Kay's Kiara went missing. What 'if' your dog was missing, three months later, you see her sitting on someones porch? How do you prove she's yours? Pictures, maybe, maybe not.
My dogs always wear collars with tags on also.

[kittycats_delight]

Artica is chipped but not sure what the brand is. She was chipped at 8 weeks old and each time we go to the vet her chip is checked. It hasn't moved as of yet and there has never been a problem reading it.

If you want to travel outside of your country here and still within the EU or outside the EU it is mandatory to have your pet be it dog or cat microchipped. They also have a pet passport for travel within Europe. Vixen & Phoenix are both microchipped as well and when the other 3 kits go in for their annuals they will be getting theirs done. The vet felt they were too small to be microchipped when I had them in before.

[Rachel]

Both mine are micro chipped. Tucker had his AVID from having been at a shelter, so when I wanted Hannah done with the same brand (keep it simple), I had to go to a different vet to do it as our vets used Home Again. I never have had them checked. Maybe I'll ask the next time we are at the vet. At this stage in the game I would think that the vets would carry both brands of readers. When we move, I will have to remember to inform AVID.

[Freedom]

Sugar and Lacey both have AVID chips. Sugar had hers from way back, and I just had to switch the owner info. I had Lacey get one when I adopted her and had her spayed.

My vet carries both and will insert which ever you ask for. If you just ask for a microchip, he does Home Again.

My vet has 3 locations. At the clinic I use, they only have the Home Again reader. But it told us Sugar HAD a chip. I took her one of the other clinics to get it 'read' so I had the number.

I know for a fact that our city's dog pound does NOT have a reader. And with a state law that they only hold a dog 3 days with no tags before PTS, that is so sad.

I'm debating with myself getting Marlin chipped. I want to, but my vet will only do it with general anesthesia. I don't want that 'just' for a chip.

[kuhio98]

No dogs here - but all 5 cats are chipped. I have the vet test/read the chip once a year to see if it is still registering.

Also, I have found many a wandering dog. The vet and shelter will scan them for free.

[Spiritwind]

I honestly think chips are pretty pointless. Not many people if they find your lost dog are going to take it to the vet and get it checked for a chip. I just keep tags with my phone number on my dogs 24/7 so they can always be returned to me and this has saved my dogs about 4 times...

The vet clinic where I used to work at, we had people stop by all the time with stray dogs they found to see if we recognized the dog or if it had a chip..

All of my dogs are microchipped with home again brand, but I buy them and do it do it myself, because its cheaper than going to a vet for it, and friends of mine have a AVID scanner, which does work with my home again chips... so I can scan to make sure the chip is there after I inject it under the skin.