Microchips

[Kfamr]

All four dogs were microchipped. Simba, Nala, and Kiara were chipped at the shelter we adopted them from. Mufasa was chipped as soon as the same shelter was having a $10 microchip clinic.

To possibly insure that your dog/s gets returned to you if they go missing, it is so worth $10.

[3muttsandaboston]

Well all my dogs but one are microchipped. I just keep their collars on though with tags. I think they are more practical.

[lute]

While we're on this subject, I was talking to my dog show mentor the other day and she was looking to microchip all her dogs. She said she only found one clinic to do it, but they put the dogs under anesthetic to do the implant. I find this completely unnecessary. Has anyone had to put a dog under for microchipping?

[Spiritwind]

I am sure people have had to put their dogs under to do the microchip, but I agree with you.. I think that is a bit much just to microchip!!.. .

Most breeders I know microchip their dogs themselves... I do my dogs myself and its much cheaper than going to a vet. When I chip my dogs, for the most part they don't even flentch.... they just stand there and let me do it.. just like I am doing vaccination...LOL

[Cincy'sMom]

All of our dogs are microchiped, and none were put under to have it done. All three wear collars/tages, but like Kay so fora few extra bucks, any extra ID is worth it.

There was a story on the local news this week about a Yorkie who was lost for 6 months. It turned up in a high school, and a girl called to brother to come get it and asked him to take it to see if it was microchipped. The Yorkie was returned to its owners. To me, if microchips help 1 more dog make it home, they are worth it!

[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.

[Kfamr]

Well all my dogs but one are microchipped. I just keep their collars on though with tags. I think they are more practical.

Yep - mine wear collars, tags, and microchips at all times. Anything extra for ID is worth it to me.

Say a "bad" person finds your dog - plans to keep it. A collar can be taken off and thrown away. A microchip, generally, is forever. Unless they are a sick, sick person - there's no way they can hide the microchip.

[Suki Wingy]

Niño had a Home Again chip implanted when we adopted him. I don't think I'd ever have a dog, or even a horse for that matter without a chip. It's just not worth the extra few bucks NOT to do it.

A good family friend found a cat wandering and took him in, he had a chip and so she was able to contact the original owner of several years ago. Turns out he's given the cat up, and the newer "owners" didn't want him, so now she has Joque and doesn't have to worry weather there's a family missing him.

[Taz_Zoee]

I do plan on getting Zoee chipped. It's just very expensive at our vet, so I am going to take her where my brother took his dogs.

But yesterday I was at the dog park and a man was there with a chocolate lab puppy. I noticed her neck was shaved and asked him what happened. He said her microchip failed and had moved. They had to shave her (which is my greatest fear for Zoee to have to be shaved), make a small inch long incision to dig it out. Then they put a new one in. Now, reading this post, I'm wondering why they needed to dig the first one out?

I am very scared to get Zoee done, but I know it's very important and could mean everything if she were to get lost or snatched away.

[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.

[3muttsandaboston]

Yep - mine wear collars, tags, and microchips at all times. Anything extra for ID is worth it to me.

Say a "bad" person finds your dog - plans to keep it. A collar can be taken off and thrown away. A microchip, generally, is forever. Unless they are a sick, sick person - there's no way they can hide the microchip.

I agree with you on that. I just know that Zoe my heart dog ran off one day when there were fireworks on the fourth of July and she had no collar on. She did have a microchip though. The person who found her didn't know about microchips. I was lucky to have been driving around and see Zoe on this person's front porch. I know if she had a collar/tag on she would have been returned to me sooner. She was gone for a whole week.

[chocolatepuppy]

Has anyone had to put a dog under for microchipping?

Not my two. I watched my vet microchip Layla, she was 4 months old then, and she didn't even flinch. Jake, they did in the back room at the shelter. I myself would have waited until he was bit older, but that's the shelter's rules.

[caseysmom]

I do plan on getting Zoee chipped. It's just very expensive at our vet, so I am going to take her where my brother took his dogs.

But yesterday I was at the dog park and a man was there with a chocolate lab puppy. I noticed her neck was shaved and asked him what happened. He said her microchip failed and had moved. They had to shave her (which is my greatest fear for Zoee to have to be shaved), make a small inch long incision to dig it out. Then they put a new one in. Now, reading this post, I'm wondering why they needed to dig the first one out?

I am very scared to get Zoee done, but I know it's very important and could mean everything if she were to get lost or snatched away.

Any shelter would probably do it for you for cheap. My vet was 25 but it was for the two chips.

[Giselle]

Never heard of sedating a dog to do a chip, but you gotta give the dogs some credit. Those needles are HUGE.

Cindy, have you ever seen the mobile low-cost vaccination trucks around your petstores? I know they always hang around Pet Food Express's, and that's where I got both Giselle and Ivy done. Most clinics use ResQ now, because Home Again now charges some yearly fee or something...
http://www.happypet.com/

And I know city shelters offer it for about $10 (usually).

[caseysmom]

Never heard of sedating a dog to do a chip, but you gotta give the dogs some credit. Those needles are HUGE.

Cindy, have you ever seen the mobile low-cost vaccination trucks around your petstores? I know they always hang around Pet Food Express's, and that's where I got both Giselle and Ivy done. Most clinics use ResQ now, because Home Again now charges some yearly fee or something...
http://www.happypet.com/

And I know city shelters offer it for about $10 (usually).

Home again took a 12 dollar one time fee from me, at least I thought it was one time.