This is being suggested when we take the dog to the vet for spaying. Do most veterinarians and humane societies now scan lost animals that are brought to them? The cost is pretty reasonable so we will likely go ahead with the chip but I am just wondering. (I am getting an ID tag to put on her collar too. )
2007-01-24 05:50:57 · 34 answers · asked by jennifahjunipah 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Actually - yes most places DO scan the animals to see if they are missing from their owner. Scanning, as you stated, is a reasonable cost and the piece of mind, knowing that most missing or stray animals get picked up and taken to a humane society or somthing of the sort - they scan the animals, is the quickest and easiest way to find your lost loved one.
2007-01-24 05:55:18 · answer #1 · answered by mandaburch 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Getting a microchip is not a bad idea and is easy to do when the dog is under anesthesia or awake. It never hurts to have the extra procaution but it does not guarentee that if something were to happen he will be found.
Many shelters and veterinarians scan; but the problem is there is not yet a universal scanner. Most of the scanners can tell you if the dog is chipped, but if it is not of the same brand as the scanner cannot read the chip. I do not know if shelters have multiple types of scanners or not; veterinarians generally only carry 1 brand.
A second benefit of the chip is that its a form of identification that is alterable- well not at this point in the game-. A tattoo can be changed, a collar can be removed; people at this point do not remove microchips.
The downsids is that unless the dog is picked up and scanned at some point, there is no guarentee it will help your dog get found. As you are likely aware, it is not a GPS locator so there is no tracking that can occur.
On a personal level, 2 of my 3 dogs are chipped...I admittedly forgot to have my GSD puppy chipped when she was spayed yesterday. it's on my "to do" list.
2007-01-24 06:53:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. A dog can easily slip out of it's collar if it gets lost. If it's picked up by animal control without tags it generally does not need to be held for more than 48-72 hours (varies by state) before being euthanized. Microchipping will provide a permanent form of ID and allows the animal to be tracked country-wide (beneficial to those living near state borders) It is MUCH easier to track down an owner of a dog that is microchipped. Definitely worth the small price.
*On a side note - after reading some of the responses, some people seem to think it is some sort of GPS tracker. That it is not. It is simply a permanent form of ID embedded in the fatty tissue in the animals lower neck. Most vets, shelters, and animal control facilities have the scanners to scan animals, should yours get loose and turn up at one of these places. If it doesn't however, there is no way to track the animal through the chip alone. In addition, if you don't bother to activate or register the chip, it's useless to get it implanted.
2007-01-24 06:05:20 · answer #3 · answered by dog7788 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay, I'm going to play the devils advocate here. For the record, 2 of my 3 dogs are microchipped, and the third will be when I take her in to get her hip x-rays. There are two problems with the microchip. One is that the chips can migrate. It doesn't happen real often, but I have definately heard of it. If that happens, they serve no purpose whatsoever. The other problem is I have heard of a lot of problems with the HomeAgain company, which seems to be the ones that provide most of the chips that veterinarians put in. I talked to someone who told me that they called HomeAgain to check and see if their dog was registered with them, (a year after they sent in their information), and the dog wasn't. HomeAgain told them that they actually were comprised of three different companies, and the people should have received a confirmation letter in the mail. They never received it, and had no idea their dog wasn't in the system. I have never received a confirmation either, and need to call them and look into it further. Also, I am irritated by the fact that HomeAgain only provides to vets, and not to breeders.
On another note, I recently saw something about research that showed that microchips might be linked to cancer. I haven't seen anything more about it, and I don't know if there is any validity to it, but it is worth researching. For all these reasons I think I will have all my pups tatooed instead of microchipped. My adults will probably contine to be chipped, but I will switch to Avid chips.
2007-01-24 08:09:00 · answer #4 · answered by majolica2002 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. Almost all shelters now scan stray animals for microchips, and chips have helped many lost animals return home. The Today Show recently had a story about a dog that got loose during a hurricane in Florida. It was returned after a year because someone found the dog in Illinois and had it checked for a chip. You better believe that family felt it was worth the $20. It's not foolproof, but it's another way to help get your pet home safely.
2007-01-24 06:00:23 · answer #5 · answered by melissa k 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Where I am if you have a microchipped dog you get a free lifetime licence, which will save you money in the long run. If not it will cost $25 a year if your dog is only spayed or neutered and more if it is not any of the above.
Also, if your dog runs away and is microchipped they will drive it back to you two times without fines (just a lecture).
In the end, if your dog may run away a bunch, or it will save you money, it is a good idea. If not, it is up to you.
2007-01-24 06:19:39 · answer #6 · answered by bpbjess 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I highly recommend it, but....the responsibility lies with the owner. You must register your current contact information with the company.
I've rescued several dogs without collars, or with the chip tag on their collar, but when I've called the company the owner never registerd the chip...or they still have information from the previous owner.
All the training in the world isn't going to completely prevent a dog from getting away if they are distracted or inadvertently turned loose, but you have a far better chance of recovering them if they have the added security of a microchip.
All my animals including my indoor only cats are microchipped.
2007-01-24 06:00:44 · answer #7 · answered by Kathleen N 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The chip will allways prove the dog is registered in your name, so if she is stolen the theif cannot claim she is theirs with the chip that reads otherwise. Same if she just gets lost, most shelters scan, and I don't think you need to be told that a collar *tag included* can be easily removed, but according to the site for the chips, the micro chip can't even be located without the scanner. Think that bits BS, though, cause we have four chipped animals, and in every one of them you can find the "piece of rice" under their skin.
Yes, it's worth it.
2007-01-24 06:08:26 · answer #8 · answered by mandy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is a lady had her dog microchiped but didn't bother to activate microchip ( with her info on it)
her dog ran away a humane society picked it up
she was scanning petfinder and saw her dog listed
she whent to pick him up but it was too late he had been missing for over a month and was put down
they told her if he was properly microchiped with info/ they could have gotten back 2 her.........
i have 1 of mien micochiped an dthe others are getting theres soon
2007-01-24 05:57:43 · answer #9 · answered by Math Freak 1990 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You decide. On one of my recent trips to the vet with my dog the office got a phone call. Someone had found a dog and wanted to know if the vets office could check for a microchip. They did, there was one and they found the owner. It all took about an hour.
2007-01-24 05:56:55 · answer #10 · answered by Stick to Pet Rocks 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋