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.

[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]

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.

Thats a good point she has gained some weight.

[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.

[Sighthounds4me]

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...

Thing is, if your dog gets picked up and lands in the shelter, the shelter would have a way of finding out who your dog is.

My dogs are also tattooed and wear tags and collars. But if the collars come off, or the tats are not seen, the chip is always there.

My Greyhound has her ears tattooed, which is what they do at the track. But I can't think of anyone in this area, outside of Greyhound people, who have any clue how to read them, or even know they are there. Even if they did know how to read them, I doubt they'd know what to do about it. And, the tats tend to fade over time, and become illegible. I know Naples' are not very easy to read anymore.

And the boys are tattooed on their inner thighs (National Dog Registry). Again, I don't know if many shelter workers or vet staff would even know to look, and my boys are so hairy that the tats are difficult to see, much less read.

So yes, I have all three IDs, but no one is failsafe, in my opinion.

[cyber-sibes]

I honestly think chips are pretty pointless.

....that's probably because you have never had one of yours wander off & get brought back because they could scan them! I have, & that chip is worth every penny!!!!! When Star was a small puppy, she squeezed through the back gate & ran down the alley. (my son had been out with her & came in just for a minute.) She had a collar but no ID tag yet. The local Animal Warden was in the area (there used to be quite a few roaming dogs around us), he picked her up & scanned her & brought her back home. We would have been heart broken if she had disappeared for good that day. Mine both are chipped & wear ID tags 24-7.

[3muttsandaboston]

....that's probably because you have never had one of yours wander off & get brought back because they could scan them! I have, & that chip is worth every penny!!!!! When Star was a small puppy, she squeezed through the back gate & ran down the alley. (my son had been out with her & came in just for a minute.) She had a collar but no ID tag yet. The local Animal Warden was in the area (there used to be quite a few roaming dogs around us), he picked her up & scanned her & brought her back home. We would have been heart broken if she had disappeared for good that day. Mine both are chipped & wear ID tags 24-7.

No but I have had one of my microchipped dogs not returned to me. Check out post number 26. That is why I keep tags on my dogs 24/7

[cyber-sibes]

Check out post number 26. That is why I keep tags on my dogs 24/7

Scarey! I'm glad you got her back!

[cloverfdx]

3 out of 4 dogs are chipped for extra ID & because they dont wear collars when at home. Elvis & Tinny both carried on when being chipped, but so would i with that size needle . Harri was done with his first Vaccination, so he was 6 weeks old.

Clover will be done this week, or next week.. whenever i can get her in to get it done. I know she is going to hate it, but it's for her own good.

ETA: A couple of months back the dogs got out, Harri was clipped by a car and one of our neihbours took him to the vets (same vets that we use). The vet nurses thought they recognised Harri but were not quite sure who he belonged to. He was scanned for a chip and i was called strait away.

So yes they are worth it .

[Pam]

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...

I have to agree with this. Ripley and Bella are not chipped and I have no plans to do so. Should a "bad" person find one of my dogs they would just throw away their tags and keep them. If they did take the dogs to a vet for routine care they would certainly not suggest they scan for a chip. A "good" person would read the tags and make the phone call. I found a stray dog once and that is what I did and this was years ago.

[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...