My husband and I have been debating chipping our new little one (last one was not chipped). We have read all of this stuff online about chip migration and possible tumor growth in the tissues surrounding the chip...Is there any validity to this stuff? You all sound very happy with your chips.

with mickey i always wanted him chipped but we just kept on forgetting every year... and now he's too old (15) im afraid it might shock him too much.

Coco, if i want her pedigree I need to have her chipped because I am recieving export pedigree. im afraid tog et her chipped next week because she'll be awake and watching her get her rabies was painful enough... I think its the greatest thing u can do for your dog. because tags come off but chips don't.

& migration and tumors i read those don't happen any more with the new technology.

I just had Bevo chipped last weekend. He did really good for being awake! I plan on having Macs done when he is neutered. I found more pros than cons in the decision to chip both of them. Good luck with your decision!

Mine are chipped and so glad. I discussed all the pros and cons with my vet before we did it and he said that with dogs - it is not a problem. He has not seen any problems at his office in all the years he has ben practicing. Cats though have had some problems, he stated.

I heard of one story where a person was pulled over while on vacation (small problem) and they did not have a copy of their rabies/shot record with them and the officer called animal controlled and picked up their pet. When they went to go pick him up there was a problem of ownership and proof he was their dog. Luckily they had him microchipped and was able to prove it was their dog and got him back right away.

Microchip
 

Five years ago I placed a retired mom with a couple in a town 30 miles from me. She was microchipped but they didnt transfer the chip to their name.

Last week I received a call from a pet hospital about 50 miles from them.
Cinnamon had been given to this lady by a relative who said they "found" it in the town where her owner lived. They gave it to the lady who lived 50 miles away . She was concerned that the Yorkie might belong to someone who was looking for it so took her to get it scanned at the pet hospital in her town.

Through the microchip they found me since it was still registered in my name, and I was able to call the owners, who would have never found her since she was now in a town 50 miles from them.

I would definitely microchip. Cinnamon would have never have been found without the chip.

I think all dogs should be chipped. There aren't any downsides, IMO.

I have two that were chipped during their spay and two that were chipped while awake. The two that were awake didn't act any different than they did while getting shots. They didn't cry out or anything at all. They never even noticed it.

There's a small risk. Some studies have placed the risk as high as 1% in lab rats. However, lab rats are predisposed to cancer and there are major questions with the methods and results used.

It is possible (but not probable) that the chip can migrate.

The chance that your dog will become lost (or stolen) is MUCH higher than the chance that your dog will get a tumor from the microchip.

There isn't any procedure that has 100% guaranteed safety. It's all in the risk/rewards ratio. IMO, the rewards of microchipping greatly outweigh the risk.

I agree with everyone, I see no down side at all to microchipping. My dogs and cats are chipped and Alice will be when she gets spayed. The other great thing about it is you can get a "lifetime license" for the dog instead of getting and paying for a new one each year (well, that's the case in Pennsylavnia, I think dog laws are different by state so you'd have to check on it). That's just a little extra added bonus for me instead of having to pay $7 per dog per year, it's a one time fee.

Little Tibbe is just 5 lbs. and I am always rubbing his back and shoulders, scratching him, etc., and have never felt the chip and he never shows any any any reaction to my touching the area of where I think the chip is somewhere between his shoulder blades.

He had no reaction to the procedure and no subsequent ill effects. I think the chip tumor risk is so tiny as to be negligible.

I know anything that will give me an extra chance of getting a lost Tibbe back is well worth the effort and I would have paid far more than the tiny fee I was charged to get this added insurance.

microchip
 

My two yorkie girls are microchipped as well as my cat. Although kitty wears a kitty collar 24/7 with ID tags, my puppies do not. Those are attached to their harnesses. I do not like to keep dog collars around their necks because I am afraid they may get caught on something and they get get injured.

However, they always wear harnesses when we are out and about. All their ID tags are attached to the harnesses with the following CURRENT information:

ID with their name and my last name as well as my home address and phone number
ID with microchip information ( I copied it onto a dog tag at my local pet store from the cheap plastic tags that are sent and wear out quickly)
Rabies tag,
License registration
Their VPI insurance tag number ( the insurance Co. would be able to contact us if a lost dog is found).

I also have separate pictures of them as well as pictures of the two of them with me ( police, etc. would know that I am the owner when I show them my ID and pictures) at the ready --- carry them with me wherever I go in their Doggie bag.

At home, I have the emergency stickers (please rescue 1 cat and 2 dogs) attached to all exterior doors. My good neighbor always has my house key in case of am emergency.

Hope this helps. The key is to keep all info current. The microchip peope do charge a small fee --- $5.00 (?), after the chip is first purchased and information given, to change the information. The charge is well worth the cost for your peace of mind and more importantly, your fur baby's safety!

In the event the two girls escape without their harnesses, I pray that they will be found safe and sound and be microchipped immediately. Most microchip sensor wands that the shelters , vets, and police use are now universal. Annually, your vet SHOULD check for the microchip to make sure it did not "slide" out of place and that it can still be detected by the sensor wand.

DAB

Aparently I can not win with Pann. Today it was georgous outside so we were outside all day I sat on the porch and did homework. Well he was running around and his harness snapped and broke! that was the finale straw he is definitely getting micro-chipped now! He's going to be the death of me!

You might want to get a stronger harness too. :p

lol I just ordered him a step-in silk harness but until that comes he has to put up with a very pink and very bulky harness the puggle used to use

Sophie was microchipped last year. Our town had a Dog Expo and our vet was there microchipping. It was a one time fee and only $20. Sophie was one year old. She didn't cry or even flinch. Such a trooper ;)! Now our breeder chips all her dogs before she releases them to their new owners. It does give us some peace of mind. Those little rings are available wherever you get you dog license tags :).

I had my baby microchipped today... i was reading some threads and i think is the best option for me and my furbabies... i will have my Melody microchipped also, but she has to wait until next month... :)