Pet owners a ? Is your pet microchipped?

we have a boxer almost 5 months old. WE are thinking of getting him microchipped.

What say you?

2 cats, both chipped. What's to lose?

does it hurt? Is it as simple as a shot? what keeps it in place?

It's just like getting a shot in the scruff of the neck.

Nothing really keeps it in place I guess. The first time we did it (about 10 years ago when the technology was new) the first one didn't stick- they couldn't find it again at the follow up visit. So the dog had to get another one.

I also got microchips for my cats because I was moving and I was afraid they would run away from the new place.

It's not that expensive and it gives you some peace of mind.

They did it when he was neutered at 7 months. For the rest of his life, it should be easier to get him back if he gets lost.

The vet can normally insert the chip painlessly while the pet is under sedation for spay/neuter surgery.

But if not, I've seen it done several times during normal wellness visits to the vet, and the kiddos don't seem to particularly mind it when it's done. The chip is injected under the skin just like a vaccine.

The security is well worth one second of an "owie"!

it was done by the humane society before we adopted them.

They have collars w/ tags just in case, but none of them are escape artists. Hell, they ignore the front door when it's left standing open.

It was a mandatory part of the adoption process, as was licensing the cat for a year. I guess they figure it will cut down on the rebound rate.

The cat doesn't seem to notice it, although I've read that in a small percentage of cases the animal develops a bump around it.

Last week in San Jose the county removed over 100 cats from a hoarder and one was identified as belonging to a San Francisco woman -- I'm guessing it's because of a chip.

Both mine are chipped. Are you planning to spay/neuter your dog? If so, they can do it then, that's when I had both of mine done. If not, it's not a big deal, they use a needle to place it under the skin.


How it Works
A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. It consists of a tiny computer chip housed in a type of glass made to be compatible with living tissue. The microchip is implanted between the dog's shoulder blades under the skin with a needle and special syringe. The process is similar to getting a shot. Little to no pain is experienced - most dogs do not seem to even feel it being implanted. Once in place, the microchip can be detected immediately with a handheld device that uses radio waves to read the chip. This device scans the microchip, and then displays a unique alphanumeric code. Once the microchip is placed, the dog must be registered with the microchip company, usually for a one-time fee. Then, the dog can be traced back to the owner if found.

http://dogs.about.com/od/toyssupplies/a/microchipping.htm

I wondered if you would be able to feel it

:scared:

I doubt I would have done it myself, but then maybe I would have, I don't know.

Both dogs and the cat.

I don't have an issue with it, just never got it done. She has never tried to escape, and if she did she has a tag with my number on it.

The two rescues came that way and we did the others.

never had a dog with a chip before this one.

And even though my cat is a 24/7 indoor cat, I'm glad the Humane Society microchipped her. You never know...if the unthinkable happened and she got out, I'd have that peace of mind.

Just keep in mind there are different brands of microchips, hence one microchip reader will not necessarily read another company's microchip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(animal)#Cross-compatibility_and_standards_issues

and trained not to leave the yard. They don't spend much time alone.

We've had a HUGE problem with cute little doggies being stolen then re-sold on craigslist over the past few years. There have been rings of people doing this (getting busted for it too, but not all of them). They tend to focus on little dogs, labs and pitbulls.

would be intimidated by the size. One sounds ferocious even though he's really a chicken. When we're on the back porch with them, he will growl when someone's at the front door long before we've heard anything.

They could be stolen, but it would be work. I think going after the cockapoos and chihuahuas would be far easier.

My pup is a huge scaredy dog and she barely even noticed the vet putting in the chip. It so worth it in my opinion. On the one chance...

A couple of rescue cats, both chipped.

I can't fault it as a safety measure, but my animals only go outside on leashes or in carriers.

I would have done it anyway just in case.

you might give some thought to things like fires or natural disasters - I'm picturing all those animals in New Orleans...

Invaluable.

That way if the new owner dumps the pet, they can put them on a list of people not allowed to adopt in the future.

I'd gotten the Bayer/ResQ chip. After hearing some issues with them being able to be read, I contacted my local shelters, and they said they had a ton of different scanners they use before defining a cat as "unchipped". But because I was paranoid and concerned I might need to double-chip, I actually took my kitty in his carrier to the shelter.

The very first scanner, the one they normally use, found his just fine -- it just gave a MUCH longer number than they had expected, which is pretty much what tells them that it's a ISO-Compliant chip. My vet was able to read his with all of the scanners but their specialty AVID scanner they only keep for AVID encrypted chips.

If your dog wanders away, the first thing any vet or shelter operation will do when they find them is scan them for id. My Great Pyrenees are microchipped. They have permanent life time dog licenses here in the city too because we've chipped them. We have a well fenced yard, and never leave them outside there unwatched, but you never know, and Pyrs can be wanderers.
My cats all must stay indoors, so I haven't bothered with them.