Microchip and Spay opinions please
 

My Bonnie is 5 months old. The vet said she could be spayed next month. And while she is there she will microchip her.

I think microchiping is a wonderful idea. Is there any reason (that I don't know )why I should not microchip? Is your pup microchiped? Why or why not?

ALso, I have seen a thread on here about waiting til they are older before spaying. How old was your little girl when you had her spayed. Do you wish you had waited til she was older? Did it effect potty training?
Anyone that waited, wish you had spayed earlier?
Thanks,

Hello my little Prada was 7 months when she was spayed and microchiped, My vet would not do it any younger than 6 months, but she was six months during christmas and I did not want to do it then, so we did it at 7 months, and before her first heat.. right now she is doing fantastic. I am a firm beleiver that if you are not going to breed get them fix. To me the chip gives me a bit of peace of mind, knowing that if she gets lost for any reason, she can be traced back to me.
Best of luck with your decision..
hugs,
cArmen in nj

hi and welcome to YT :D

okay first none of my kids are microchipped...i am on the fence about whether to have it done...mostly because i have read stories about the microchip moving and causing some problems...i realize it has probably only happened a handful of times, but someone always has to be that handful, know what i mean? :p ... i think it is good and raises your chances of getting your kid back if s/he was ever lost but call me a purist, i think it seems a little unnatural...i mean no one microchips their 2 legged kids, do they? ;) again, JMO

okay, i got miss buffey spayed right at the 6 month mark...i wish i would have waited a bit longer...i panicked because i kept reading how you should spay before their first heat to greatly reduce their chances of some cancers...i wish i had waited until her adult teeth had come in more...now she has puppy teeth that need to come out and she will need to be put under anesthesia again just for that....and that worries me

and spaying did not effect potty training in any way for us

again, this is just my opinion and i hope you get many more so you can make the best choice for you and your baby! :)

Both of my girls are micro chipped....No problems at all...They were done when one was spayed and the other had dental.....I feel much better knowing the chip is there....

My Violet was just spayed at 5 months. She had to have surgery for another reason, so they did the spay while they were in there. Honestly, it is awful seeing her recover. If I'd had a choice, I would not have spayed her until at least 7 months, especially if your yorkie is tinier.

I opted not to do the microchip because she was going through enough already without adding anything else to the mix. But even if she had been perfectly healthy, I don't think I would have done the microship simply because Violet doesn't really go outside very often (she is pad trained) or for very long. And I just can't imagine any circumstances under which she would "escape." :)

I might add, that one of the reasons I am thinking about microchiping, is because I want to take her on vacations and I am worried about her escaping or getting stolen and the only proof of ownership would be her microchip. I know the chances of that are slim, but yorkies are so prized and can be re-sold for such a high price, I think they would be a target for some people. I would just die if I knew someone had my little girl and I couldn't prove she belonged to me.

I take my pups almost everywhere I go in the summer and that is one of the main reasons they are microchiped. I talked to my vet and he highly recomended for them, also I have a fence yard and I never leave them there without me or any other adult in my home, but then YOU never know, better safe than sorry.
hugs,
CArmen in nj

I agree. I also think you should have the back of her dog tag engraved to say she is microchipped. It could be a deterrent to thiefs!!

My pups have a bright yellow tag in their collar that says they are microchiped..;).. it came from the microchiped company.
hugs,
cArmen in nj

You know I've often wondered if you should advertise the fact that the dog was microchipped. Let's say the dog ran away, and someone decided to keep it. It seems like it would be easier for the person to get away with it if he knew the dog was chipped. He could avoid vets that would scan for the chip for example. I'm not sure if all vets do this automatically. I know you don't want to put the actual microchip number on the tag because they could just call the company and say that the dog has been sold, if they have the number.


To the OP, I have read about a case recently where a dog was injured and bled to death during the procedure, it was a freak thing, and the dog wasn't sedated at the time, and it could be the dog flinched when the chip was injected causing it to hit an artery. I haven't heard of any problems when the dog is sedated. Joey is chipped, and I feel a little safer, his chip number is registered with the AKC as part of their lifetime lost and found protection, as well as the chip company, so I feel like we have a duel safety measure if he should ever be lost.

I have all four of mine microchipped!! And I also wear the yellow tag from the company on their collars or harnesses when we travel or leave the house for errands. Also attached is the license required by law and also a lightweight tag with home information and ph numbers. Now let me tell you why I had them microchipped.

We travelled a long distance to pick up our last little addition and on the way back we had a very bad accident. We had all the fluffs with us in the car but thankfully we were not hurt badly and all the fluffs were fine BUT it made me start thinking. "What If".........we were unconcience and some good Samaritan came to see if we were alright or render aid to us. The dogs might bolt when the door is opened, the tags could come off, collars could come off, etc. and they would be lost but with the microchip, I have more hope that someone would find them and they would be returned to me. I know the chances of an accident are there when we travel and so I just feel a bit extra secure knowing they have my information on the microchip and have a better chance of being returned to me. JMHO

I had my girl spayed microchipped and a few baby teeth removed at 6 mos. I am glad I did and she had no problems

I recently rehomed a dog and to have that information changed, you have to pay for it and you also have to show proof of owner transfer or bill of sale before they will change the information. Just wanted to share my recent experience with you about it.

That's great, which company are you with? Home again, I hope?

The breeder had Puddin' microchipped before he delivered her to us. The company provides a tag to put on the collar or harness that indicates she is chipped, but he warned against using it because thieves here have been known to dognap dogs wearing the tags and hold them for ransom! Seems the logic is that if the dog is chipped, it must be valuable, therefore worth stealing...and those tags (cream-coloured plastic here) advertise the dog is chipped.

Puddin' and Candy are chipped but the only tags they wear is a brass heart with their name on one side and my phone number on the other, just like the two senior doggies. I'm not taking any chances with any of my babies!

spaying and chipping
 

:thumbup: poppy was spayed and chipped and had a baby tooth taken out when she was 11 months old :) she had her first season 3 months before that , everything was ok , i would highly recommend it , love jill n poppy xx :aimeeyork

I'm still debating whether or not to have my Tinky microchipped or not, and also spayed, as all this 'theiving' business unsettles me, and even if she were microchipped, whoever would have taken her may actually keep her for their-self (as these type of dogs are not only adorable but also highly expensive) but then again if she were to be sold on somebody might check for the micro-chip.

As for spaying, someone told me there can be a lot of complications with smaller dogs under anaesthetic/dealing with internal organs - I'm not sure on the truth of this but it scares the life out of me to think she would be in any danger for her life. I don't plan to breed her and she never leaves my sight while she's outside/with other dogs, and she's not one to run off either (even off lead she won't leave my side, she's too timid), she's already come into season once (she is 1 in April) and I've heard spaying after this period of time can increase the risk of cancer???

So I'm really stuck on the spaying issue - I'd gladly have her micro-chipped thinking about it, but spaying...?


xXx

First of all, spaying after the first heat doesn't increase the risk of cancer, you just don't get all the benefits of spaying sooner, but you still get some benefits. I don't know how many times I've read of a 6 year old 3 pounder who's owner decided not to spay, due to size, and at 6 years old was impregnated. Things change in your life, and it's really difficult to protect them for the rest of the lives against pregnancy. Pregnancy is way more dangerous than spaying, and a first time pregnancy after the age of 5 can be deadly for your dog. Sometimes people think the other dog was "just a pup, so how could this happen?" or "she got outside for a minute", or "someone was babysitting . . ." etc. Regarding anesthesia, as long as the vet uses gas, not the injectables, your Yorkie should be safe. Isoflurane, and Sevoflo gas have both been shown to be safe on small breeds. If you are going to spay, I recommend microchipping at the same time, this is really the safest choice, considering all the alternatives.

Why we chipped ours.
 

Why we chipped ours. About a year ago, I had to go to GA to care for my in-laws. My fil had pancreatic cancer & mil had to have a heart valve replaced. While I was gone, my son (27) & friends stopped by to help themselves to some lumber. While taking it out of the gate, our beloved Parker slipped out. My dil was inside my home, but did not notice until dh was due home from work that Parker was missing. Everyone in my family knows how we feel about our 4 legged babies & every night my dh & would discuss them. My dh, my dil, my son & 5 of his friends started a search. Luckily when going door to door, a new neighbor said his brother had found a very small yorkie but did not see anyone looking for a dog, so he took it home. They lived a couple of towns away. Needless to say when the neighbor said he would have him bring him back the next day, my dh informed my son that he was had better go get him ASAP before I called & he did, and Parker was safe at home when I called. I found out about a week later when I was able to come home. Dh said he didn't want to upset me while I was away. He had taken him the very next day & had him chipped. Even though we belong to AKC lost & found program, he took no more chances of HIS OWN LIFE ending should something had happened to our baby. Anyway we chipped all of ours & padlocked all gates with only two keys-one for dh & myself!

I take bella everywhere and i am always concerned that she will run away or someone will steal her. Plus our house is backed up to the freeway so anyone could just jump over the fence and take her. Does anyone have any info as to where you get your dog microchipped at? How much does it cost? I would really like to look into it. Thanks !! !

Wow I can't believe that, taking a dog because they can't see anyone looking for it, thankfully the neighbor was honest, but I'm not so sure about her brother. Glad it all worked out for you.

Your vet can do it, I think it was only around $40.00, there are also low cost places in certain towns.

So was my husband & son, their lives depended on it. It was not about the money we had paid for Parker, he was our baby. I had always kept him with me, where ever I went. This time dh thought it best to leave him at home since most of my time was going to be spent being a caregiver to his parents. Since that has happened, all of them are chipped & I have someone come & stay at my home to care for them if we are unable to take them with us. As for a neighbor, I think the sight of my son scared them enough to come clean. ;) As I told dh, imagine what would have happened if they hadn't been honest? I would have become a widow & sonless :rolleyes:

This is my huge problem too - I am always concerned about her getting pinched as she is so tiny - tiny enough for someone to scoop her up and jump into their car. I would be absolutelty devastated if she was stolen :( I can't bear thinking about it. Thumbs up for microchipping then!!! :thumbup:


xXx

Pixie was spayed at 13 months..she had her 1st season at 9 months..I waited till she was over a year because she is very small and I wanted to wait till she had reached her maximum weight before spaying..she was Microchipped while under the anaesthesia as well as retained baby teeth removed and nails trimmed. She did just fine!;)

At my last vet visit, my vet said they charge $20 to implant the chip and there is some type of registration fee with the company. Well worth the peace of mind it would bring.
Thanks for all your stories and opinions.

riley got microchipped when he got neutered & madison will also be microchipped when shes spayed in a few months. i think the microchip was $30 or something like that.

oh! does anyone know how to go about changing the information thats tied to the microchip? we'll be moving soon and i'll need to update that... does the vet do it since they were the ones who put the chip in? or do i have to go through the company?

My Trixie will be 6mo on March 5 and she is getting spayed this friday and is also getting chipped. Coco and Pebbles are "fixed" and chipped. Trixie is about 8 pounds now and is not a teenie tiny thing like pebbie was and is but I am so worried. I know she'll be fine but the mommy in me takes over my brain. lol As a matter of fact Pebbles has 2 chips in her because the first one didn't register at the vet so now she has 2. Both numbers are registered to me just in case the first one gets picked up by another vets scanner.

Madison was spayed 2 weeks ago
 

She is 8 mos old until tomorrow. She was gased with isoflu... and did very well. Healed very quickly. and these last 2 weeks we've not had ANY pee accidents (or poo) in the house since her spay. As far as I know she never went into heat. I've been told that they can be in heat and you not be aware of it.
I too am on the fence with microchip. I've had my maltese Lexie for 5 yrs traveled all over the country with her and losing her has never been an issue. ( maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones)
I do think there is a sense of peace of mind with the microchip. But if my dog was ever gone missing would it be enough to bring her back to me? that I am not sure I have confidence in.
Also, Im not sure I'd like something under my skin... so why would they?

my 2 cents....
I don't think its wrong to chip or not to chip:aimeeyork

I can feel it on Pebbles because she is little. Feels like a little grain of rice. She doesn't even know it's there, never see her try to scratch it or anything. On Coco can't feel it he's a bit heftier. My girlfriend has a big dog and she got him tatooed OUCH!! I asked if he was put asleep when they did it she said, "no, I just held him" Poor thing, I'd like to hold her down and tatoo her on her inner thigh. Sorry off subject... just makes me sooo mad that they don't think dogs can feel pain. Why he needed the tatoo I don't know she doesn't show him, he doesn't ever leave the house. CRAZY!!!