Comments on: Are your pets chipped? If not, why not?

By: Becky

Becky — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:07:04 +0000

The year before microchips became available, a remodeler accidentally let one of our indoor cats out, and we never saw him again. He didn’t wear a collar or tags because he was an indoor-only cat. All of our pets have been chipped since they became available. “Indoor cats” are not immune to being lost. Sadly, we learned the hard way.

If you love your pets, you’ll chip them. (And keep the contact info current.)

By: Mary Mary

Mary Mary — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:55:27 +0000

The OTHER Pat — you are right. I should have clarified that. I did indeed mean tracking device.

By: The OTHER Pat

The OTHER Pat — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:30:29 +0000

Folks also need to understand that microchips are NOT tracking devices. A tracking device would need to send a signal which could be detectable from long distances (think GPS). Chips do not broadcast any kind of signal. They can only be read when the detector is in VERY close physical proximity to them. It’s not the same thing as a “tracking device” at all.

By: Mary Mary

Mary Mary — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:03:22 +0000

If I had a child, I would probably be pretty interested in some sort of tracking device, especially since in the past few days alone two grade school girls in different states were snatched and killed while walking near their homes. Those are just the ones that made the news. Would I have something implanted in my kids’ bodies? I don’t know. My brother has a metal pin in his arm and my mom has a long metal pin in her hip. No harm done that I can see. If I had a dog or cat they would be chipped. The shelters in my city chip rabbits too. One thing that helps with is tracking down the moron owners when they dump them in a field a few years later.

But the OTHER Pat is right, bringing kids into this discussion is not constructive.

By: The OTHER Pat

The OTHER Pat — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:17:51 +0000

Ken, the people who make microchips know about the body’s rejection mechanisms. This is why they utilize biocompatible materials in their manufacture specifically to address this problem. There is nothing “biocompatible” about a splinter however. So your analogy is inaccurate.

Beyond that, what does a discussion about chipping pets - which are property - have to do with chipping children, which are most definitely NOT property? And what does the practices of “Mexico’s elite” have to do with ANY facet of a discussion on chipping pets?

By: Ken

Ken — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:06:39 +0000

I don’t and won’t chip for this reason. If you get a sliver. Your body tries to push it out or absorb it. The same thing happens with chips. The body tries to get rid of them.

Just out of interest. If you have children are they chipped? It is legal and can be done. Mexico’s elite are doing it.

By: Mary Mary

Mary Mary — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:25:25 +0000

It is so good to see shelter/rescue folks here whose organizations try to find the animals’ owners. I have taken many strays to local shelters and the very first thing they do is scan them.

By: LynnO

LynnO — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:48:39 +0000

I volunteer for a rescue group. She chips everything usually. My vet, Animal Control, and the rescue group use different scanners and different chips, but they ALL read everything, and they all use their scanners. A LOT!

Many adopters don’t register the chips! so our rescue group went to a prepaid registration and did it for them. But then if they return the pet the next adopter has to pay to re-register the chip. Oh well.

We get calls all the time for chips we’ve installed, and we’ve called Animal Control lots for chips they’ve installed. Doesn’t always get the animal back to the person who wants them, but it’s usually because that person DOESN’T want them!

As for why not to chip…Animal Control did install a chip between the vertebrae on a small dog a few years ago. That wasn’t so good. I won’t install them because I don’t do needles. And once I found a chip coming out on one of my active foster dogs. I saved it in a ziploc bag and had my vet reinstall it.

Installers need to realize they are providing a lifetime service and they need to do it right! Poorly installed chips are an irritant to pets and owners FOREVER.

I can still feel the little rice-like bump on my 13 year old lead dog. I’ve never needed or used the chip, but it’s a comfort to me to know it’s there. My yearling basset got her (my) money’s worth out of her microchip ten times over! And she died before she was two.

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:00:57 +0000

Also, as far as migration, we found that back when we implanted AVID we had some migration issues, especially when the chip was just implanted in the scruff and not muscle tissue (which is a little more painful and therefore more difficult to do). Haven’t noticed as much migrating issues since we’ve switched to 24PetWatch, now that i think about it…

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:59:10 +0000

H. Houlahan- i feel like i got that factoid from Nathan Winograd a few years ago. I’ll see if i can dig it up somewhere to substantiate for you next time i’m at work :-)