When to microchip?
 

So what would be the best age to microchip a yorkie?

Ruby is 10 weeks and she isn't microchipped yet (i got her from a private breeder).

I would have to do it by June though because I'm travelling in July (bringing her to the US from Greece-long trip!)...is that too soon?

Does it hurt them a lot?

you can microchip now if you choose too...i don't believe there is a set time to do it...i know when i got Mei Ling she came from a show breeder and the day i picked her up her breeder microchipped her in front of me....hope that helps

I think you can do it at any age. I've known breeders that microchip at around 8 weeks or so. But I'm not positive on the age, but I know it's best to do it under anesthesia or at the same time as a neuter/spay. Maybe somebody else will give you much better advice on the age :)

But I am positive that it does not hurt the puppy! Well it may cause discomfort...it all depends on the pup. It's inserted by a needle between the shoulder blades, much like a vaccination, and is over quickly. (30 seconds?)

Hope I somewhat helped! :p

There is no set age as far as I know. In South Africa our registry has announced that any puppies registered after September 2010 must be microchipped so that means theay are being chipped at a young age

my vet told me to wait becasue he said the needle is big so why worry about it when she is so young. I had it done last weekend when she was 7 months old and they predicted she would cry but she never even noticed the needle! Mine tends to run off at any chance she gets so i have chipped her now at this lively age :) hope that helps!

confused
 

I thought microchipping was the way to go and then recently read articles about dogs growing cancerous tumors where they are chipped. Now, I don't know. What do you all think??

:) hiya , poppy was chipped when she was 11 months old , when she was in the vets being spayed :) i wanted to wait until then so she would be asleep , we have had no problems :) love jill n poppy xx :aimeeyork

I think the stories have been blown way out of proportion, because some commercial breeders are fighting the mandatory microchipping laws, and want to scare the general public. One group called "antichip" links a study where microchips caused cancer in rats trying to show proof that chips were dangerous, but this study was done purposely to see how cancer started. The scientist used a special strain of rats that develop cancer/tumors very easily, and the scientists wanted to study every aspect of tumor growth and these were the best specimens to use. This study should never have been used to back up research that rats got cancer from chips; the scientists knew that they would. The general public isn't very experienced in reading scientific studies, and are very easily misled. If you have any doubt on the safety of chips question your vet about the safety. They are considered one of the safest procedures there is. If you live in a highly populated area, a microchip gives you a much higher chance of find a lost pet. Dogs with no form of identification, have only a 10% chance of being reunited with their owner.

To the OP, I got it done when Joey was being neutered, any chance you could do that?

Last Fall I had Doodlebug and Bogey chipped at a PAWS fundraising event. I watched as they inserted the chip and other than a little squirm they were FINE! The entire process took about 30 seconds TOPS and included swabbing the area with alcohol, picking up and holding them and placing the chip between the shoulder blades. Afterward, yes they were a little tender in that area but Pebbles has had more of a reaction from her rabies shot in the past. It is NOT necessary to place a microchip while under sedation but many people will opt for microchips to be placed while their pet is undergoing a spay/neuter as an added "service".

I would agree with Nancy1999 regarding microchipping NOT causing cancer. There are all types of conspiracy theories and myths that you can find regarding just about ANYTHING if you look hard enough. There is always someone that is willing to jump on the conspiracy bandwagon and us it to their advantage or even skew date to reflect their agenda.

I've also heard of breeders chipping their puppies when they are sent to their new homes. I believe this is an extra advantage to a good breeder as they will always be able to keep track of their placed puppies.

Thank you for that, I had just recently been reading about this and am very relieved to hear the 'rest of the story'... I had mine chipped when they were being spayed, my vet didn't want to do it when they were awake because of the size of the needle. I worried until it was done. I think the earlier the better... can't hurt any worse than circumcision, can it??

Lol, I haven't read up on the latest in circumcision that does sound painful though. I didn't even like the idea of puppy shots, but a knowledgeable person can give them without the puppy acting like he experienced any pain, so I guess it depends on who's doing it.

The needle that is used is bigger than would be used by the vet for injection of a vaccine but truthfully it is not that large. I would be no means compare it to a circumcision. Like I said very quick and a small discomfort but well worth it IMO.

Thank you for all the information!!!

I don't think I'm going to spay my girl for quite a while, because I might want her to have puppies...haven't decided yet.

It's just that yorkies are so small and Greece is so over-populated that if I lose her I'll probably never find her again! So chipping her is a good idea...

But even the needle from her shots hurt her a lot, she was crying and whining for 10 minutes after, really loudly! If this one is bigger she'll be in more pain!!!:eek: