Thoughts on microchiping?

[Mama Soltera]

I have a dog who never has and never would run away and I really can't picture any kind of scenario where we would need this. A lot of people believe it's very important for  them to have a microchip though. I do worry about something implanted permanently under the skin too. 

There is an opportunity for my dog to be microchiped for free and I'm not sure if I should take advantage of it. I'd appreciate any thoughts. 

[starrlamia]

personally I would, my dogs are chipped and there is no opportunity for them to run away. But you never know what will happen, someone could break in and they could run out, there could be a fire or emergency etc, I did it to err on the side of caution!

[nd_deadhead]

My dogs were chipped by the breeder before I got them, but I would have it done myself, just to be on the safe side (I'm a big believer in insurance).

[~Adorkable~]

i had a beloved cat that was saved during a move and returned to me because of his microchip, please do it. 

also make sure that you keep the info in file current. any vet or pound will scan for the chip before adopting out or putitng down an animal.  and if the worst happens and you animal passes away and you dont know where they are the animal control can contact you if they are called to pick up the animal.

as i see it is has no drawbacks and tons of benefits.

[Silverring]

I agree with the above.  All our pets are chipped.  I know someone who lost their dog during a burglary.  It just makes good sense.

[34me]

I never thought my dogs would run but they have on a couple of occassions. We' e always found them, but....

Also, if a fire were to happen at your house it is the policy of most fire departments to just let your animals out. One of ours was caught by a neighbor around the block and the other came back on her own 24 hours later. The chip makes me feel better. Our ferret was also chipped

[Mama Soltera]

So, I did get him microchipped. A few days later though, he suddenly could not walk and I had to rush him to the animal ER three times. After lots of tests they could only guess that he seemed to have some kind of severe infection related to his spinal cord with no idea as to what caused it. He was put on an aggressive antibiotic ($200) and after a week of being scared to death my dog would die he has almost completely recovered. This is a dog who has been extremely healthy his whole life and developed a severe medical issue within days of getting the microchip (placed between his shoulder blades). I really think that is too big of a coincidence to ignore. It was so scary, him trembling and falling down and crying out because his legs were giving out (and even his bladder). I had to carry him everywhere (and he is big!). I'm so relieved he's okay but I really regret getting the microchip now and I hope this medical issue is resolved and we won't have to take further action. I found this page about microchipping: 

http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/new-dog/Facts-About-Microchipping-Your-Dog

[Mama Soltera]

I also found this: 

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/microchips-pet/

[~Adorkable~]

Mama Solter, I'm very sorry your dog had a problem and i'm so glad he is doing better now.

i still stand behind micro chipping as i think the risks are very low compared to the benefits. none of the articles given talk about what % of total microchipped animals have problems, i would guess it is left out because the actual percentage is amazingly low. and as the second link mention that having one gave a 30% better chance of getting your dog back from a shelter, that is nothing to shake a stick at.

many things we do, we do understanding that there is some small risk and we choose to do it because the benefits are something we want. while i would never want to downplay the horrible stress you and your dog went thru (i had a 10year old extremely beloved cat nearly poisoned to death, so i very much understand the stress, i still 10 years later shudder and tear up thinking of those few weeks) i would mention that your dog is more like to get sick from dozens of other things you freely do with him on a regular basis.  I'm sure more dogs end up super sick or worse from things they step on in dog park or beaches than get sick from microchipping.

and while this is totally anecdotal, i would like to say that i had 2 cats chipped in the early days of chipping, both when they were just a few months old. one was totally healthy till 8 years old and then was stricken with numerous cancer things involving various body parts, but nothing of any issue with the implant at all, heck it might have been the only inch of her that didnt have a problem when we laid her to rest. her cancer was clearly something she had a genetic propensity for based on th way it spread in her body, i do not believe it had a particular external cause.

my other cat lived nearly 17 years with his chip and finally passed away from slow growing cancer of the GI that matasified in to the lungs, this was a very normal and totally age relater cancer in cats and in my case an other wise amazingly health cat that shared nearly half my life.

so i had two cats die of cancer, but the fact is a huge number of cats die of cancer, a huge number. so its always good to remember that correlation does not necessarily mean causality

[ananas]

Originally Posted by Mama Soltera 

So, I did get him microchipped. A few days later though, he suddenly could not walk and I had to rush him to the animal ER three times. After lots of tests they could only guess that he seemed to have some kind of severe infection related to his spinal cord with no idea as to what caused it. He was put on an aggressive antibiotic ($200) and after a week of being scared to death my dog would die he has almost completely recovered. This is a dog who has been extremely healthy his whole life and developed a severe medical issue within days of getting the microchip (placed between his shoulder blades). I really think that is too big of a coincidence to ignore. It was so scary, him trembling and falling down and crying out because his legs were giving out (and even his bladder). I had to carry him everywhere (and he is big!). I'm so relieved he's okay but I really regret getting the microchip now and I hope this medical issue is resolved and we won't have to take further action. I found this page about microchipping: 

http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/new-dog/Facts-About-Microchipping-Your-Dog

Weird and scary! I'm glad your pup is ok.

I am a dog groomer and have seen microchips work their way out of the dog's body. 

I'm not really sure how I feel. My own pets aren't microchipped, though. Well, one was, a cat- the only one that ever disappeared. That was 4 years ago and we've never heard a word about her.

[Mama Soltera]

My elderly cat is microchipped but I got her that way as a kitten. I think I would adopt an animal who is microchipped but probably not actually get one microchipped again. It's too much of a risk for me already being so attached for years and then having something happen. Since we still can't say 100% for sure what caused the infection in my dog's spine, he still might not be okay.

I have always worried about a metal foreign object being permanently implanted in the body. I can say my cat's chip has not migrated out because I had them scan her just to double check. So hers has never been an issue. I agree the risks are small, but I'm just not sure it's a risk I'd ever be willing to take again. 

[sk8boarder15]

I have 5 dogs, all chipped and I will chip all future dogs. The risks are slim, very slim. And I have had dogs escape and get lost. In gneral though a collar with a tag is much much more important and effective than a chip as the average person can't read a chip, yet a collar can come off. 

[babymommy2]

My indoor cat is microchipped. He is quite old and we moved this year and got outside just after the move. We got him back because of the microchip. Someone found him and took him to a vet. I would get a chip in a ny animal. The % of risk to teh procedure is much smaller than the % of helath risk to animlas who get lost.