Microchipping isn't pleasant, but it's not horribly painful either. The animal doesn't have to be put to sleep. My puppy has already been microchipped and she's just now about 7 weeks old. Our vet did the actual chipping but my mom assures me that Eleanor hardly made a peep. The Avid microchip comes preloaded into a syringe with a really big needle and it is injected between the shoulderblades usually under the fat. This is the location with the least possibility for "migration" of the chip. Shelters and vets are supposed to scan every dog that is brought in to check for the chips. The scanner is kinda like a big barcode reader. My mom has been a breeder for about 30 years and all her pups get microchipped unless the buyer specifically requests that they don't. It's definitely a good thing though. Tags are your best line of visible defense, but if something happens to them you still have some way of identification.
__________________  Eleanor's Mommy |