Chip your pet???

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

What does it mean and what are you doing when you micro chip your pet?

[Kfamr]

Normally if you get your dog from a shelter they put a microchip in the dogs neck so if the dog gets loose or lost and the shelter pics them up they scan them and your name comes up and address and your information and such comes up.. im sure someone else will be able to explain it more thoroughly but thats basicly it Simba has one he also has a little "S" tatooed in his ear, i duno what thats for but we say it stands fo "simba"

[carrie]

The microchip is injected under the skin on the neck of the dog. Each chip has a special number code so that when it is read by a scanner the individual animal can be recognised and the owners details found easily. If the animal changes home the new details must be registered.
Lost pets are much more likely to be returned if they are chipped. It is absolute identity proof if the animal is stolen and if every animal were chipped cruelty cases would be so much easier to prove and prosecute.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Has there ever been any negetive side effects or reports about these chips? And how much does it cost to get one? Do they do it on cats? AND how long do they have to stay at the vets when the procedure is done? Sorry so many questions but this seems interesting. If anyone can tell me about their experience I would like to hear it.

[Kfamr]

Im sorry i cannot provide answers to youe question, but where i got Simba from, (the spca) he came chipped and everything.

[Logan]

My cats are not chipped, but my dogs are. The dogs are much more likely to be "lost" than the cats, if they get out of the yard (yes, I'm saying the cats are much better at staying at home! LOL!!)
Our chips are through AVID. The veterinarian keeps a log of every animal he chips and turns it into AVID. That number matches up with me, so if Honey and Lilly are ever lost, if the rescue or veterinarian they are taken to has access to a scanner, they will know this dog belongs to someone. Even if it is not an AVID scanner it does pick up on the chip.

The chip itself is about the size of a grain of rice. The veterianarian inserts it with a syringe of sorts right between their shoulder blades (same for cats and dogs). It has little "teeth" that prevent it from moving around, but I always have my vet check for it when we're in there, just to make sure that it is still reading their number.

My dogs also have an extra tag on their collar signifying that they are chipped. You just have to be sure to let AVID know if your address or phone number changes. You want them to be able to find you.

There is a wide range of cost for this service. It was $50/dog for me to do it. But I have heard as low as $15. So check around and get the best price.

Logan

[carrie]

It is a very, very safe procedure and takes as long as an injection.

Racehorses are now all chipped as are most zoo animals as it a failsafe identity, totally unique to an individual.

[Freckles]

My vet chipped Freckles recently. She is strictly an indoor cat, so if she did get out somehow, I would be more concerned about her safety. Here is the AVID website. I'm guessing, from reading the material, the $15 chip would be traced back to whoever did the chipping. I paid the higher fee and furnished info so I would be contacted directly if Freckles was found out on her own.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

MMMMM That is sounding too expensive and painfull. I don't think I could put Tinky through another sedation either. If anyone is interested since Spencer the Lion happened to mention cat proofing the back yard.............. if anyone has a fence there is a cool (CAT FENCE-IN Patented System) that you might want to check out, the web site is www.catfencein.com:)

[AmberLee]

Yeah, when I had Cassy and Sassy (RB) chipped it was while they were being neutered, so they were already under sedation. Livvy got chipped when she had her annual shots shortly after she joined us. It did seem more painful for her, but not a great deal so and she was moving smoothly within 24 hours (… if that's any help?) She had a history of sneaking out of her previous home - hasn't happened since she came to live with me, knock on wood, but that was a big factor in my getting her chipped.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

OUCHHHH I don't know it just sounds so painfull. So you say Livvy took the shot o.k. Did she seem mad at you for getting it done and how old was she? I would like the peace of mind but ever since I took Tinky to be spayed she won't go near the front door. Sometimes I will take her out to sit on the porch with me and she climbs all over me when I walk her to the front door, and when I took her to the vet to have her stitches out she was so scared I could see her fear in her poor little face when we walked into the vet's office. Amber Lee if you don' t mind answering those last questions, and any other advice from anyone who has done it (without their pet being sedated) would be appreciated. I don't ever want to lose my baby but I don't want to hurt her either.

[carrie]

My cats were both chipped without sedation. It is very quick and they had no problem after the procedure at all. I am lucky that they do not wander far from home but as we will have to move house in the summer I am really glad I had it done. Better of few seconds discomfort than a lost cat.

[AmberLee]

Hi Sara --

Let's see. Livvy was born 4-11-99 and was chipped early July 2001... She was about 27 months then and roughly 14 pounds -- she's a Maine Coon mix. They needed to clip a lock of her hair and she was a little stiff for not quite 24 hours. She seemed upset when we got to the vet, but hugely relieved when we got home. That seems to be a pretty common reaction to vet visits and not related to pain, just the smells and 'difference' of location?

I look on the pain of her getting the chip as a very low cost in the peace of mind it gives me and rather like the pain of her getting annual shots. There is some pain, but much less pain than getting an illness or getting lost would be for both of us...

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Sara,

I don't have either one of mine chipped, but that's because it's a relatively new procedure, and they only go outside with a leash on.

I think the least of your worries will be if Tinky will be mad at you. I have found that cats don't know how to hold a grudge. They might temporarily spurn you, but before you know it they will be back to normal.

Just a quick story to confirm this. Terry had more experience with dogs than he did with cats - until I moved in. He is a big softie at heart, and can't stand to see any animal in pain or confusion. So when it came time to take Tubby and Peanut to the Vet, lets just say that he was more stressed out than they were. He swore they would hate him forever for putting them through this. When we were finished, we dropped them off and went and ran a few more errands. When we got home, he was still upset about the whole thing, until Tubby came out meowing to greet us and Peanut started rubbing on the corner of the wall like she usually does when we first get home. They had completely forgotten the whole adventure already. That's when he figured out they wouldn't hate him forever. I just couldn't help but laugh about the whole thing.

And I'd have to agree with Carrie's comment that better a few seconds of discomfort than a lost cat, and the fright the poor thing would go through if it were ever lost. I think the younger the better, and I think Tinky would bounce back right away and be her old self in no time - and you'd be worry free.

If and when I ever get another cat, I will have it chipped at the first vet visit.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Thank you everyone for your advice and stories. I think I might consider it during her yearly checkup for her shots. It didn't dawn on me to do it with her other shots, I just don't want her sedated and I don't want to turture with a vet visit any more than I have to. Thanks again though for all of you guy's advice.