We thinking of getting our puppy chihuahua chipped as it is reasonably inexpensive. But I dont want to subject him to too much pain/discomfort if not completely necessary.
Does it hurt the animal when it gets inserted (and how long does it hurt them?) and are they prone to any problems later down the track when it is under their skin?
2007-03-15 12:28:03 · 12 answers · asked by malia_r 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
No...and it's a very good idea. The microchip is the size of a small grain of rice. It is inserted with a needle similar to one they use to give vaccinations. Since your chihuahua is small, and the needle is a bigger one, the best idea is to get it done the same time that you take him to get neutered. The vet will insert the chip when he is under sedation for the neuter, and he won't even know it's there when he wakes up. I have been assisting with this process for 2 years now, and we've never had a bad reaction from it. Once it's in, they have no idea.
2007-03-15 12:34:16 · answer #1 · answered by NeedToKnow 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I strongly encourage any pet owner to microchip their dog and cat. We recently started doing that with our shelter animals about a year ago. The microchip itself is the size of a grain of rice and the needle is a 12 ga so it is a good size. If inserted correctly the entire process literally takes seconds. Most of the animals don't have any reaction. With smaller breed dogs, we do tend to get a yelp but it is over and done with so quickly! I can only think of a handful of animals that we have sent them to the vet with their microchip- the majority of our shelter animals are done while they are alert. Sometimes there can be a little blood from where the microchip is inserted but that can be easily cleaned up with some hydrogen peroxide. It's important to not rub the area between their shoulder blades for a few hours!! This allows the microchip to adhere to the skin so it stays in place. The first thing a lot of people want to do is rub where the "ouchy" is- this can actually cause the microchip to travel and you don't want that!
I'm assuming you will get it done at your vet clinic and most vet clinics use AVID or Home Again. Please pay the registration fee and get your dog registered! I can't tell you how many dogs we see at my shelter that have a microchip that isn't registered. It defeats the purpose and takes us longer to try and track down an owner.
My dog and my cats who are strictly indoor cats are all microchipped. They all have collars on with their tags, etc. but those can be removed. A microchip isn't something you can typically feel on a dog and it's indisputable. Each chip (regardless of brand) has a number/letter combination that is unique to the animal. This is especially important if the dog goes missing or is stolen.
2007-03-15 12:49:11 · answer #2 · answered by paris26 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Malia - I've had two dogs and two cats micro-chipped. The bigger sized dog had no problems. However, the Shih Tzu puppy experienced a lot of pain when the technician inserted the needle in her shoulder. To this day, I can still hear her screaming when the technician injected the chip. In all fairness though, she screams whenever she gets a shot so don't let that put you off from getting your dog micro-chipped. I would suggest that you wait until the dog is a good size because my puppy was only 10 weeks old and very small for her age. Due to her small size, the technician had problems getting the chip in place. She actually had to do the injection twice.
My personal opinion is that micro-chipping is necessary because if the dog somehow gets out of the yard or someone steals it, that chip can help you recover your dog. Aside from the initial pain of the injection of the chip the dogs and cats didn't have any complications from the chips.
2007-03-15 13:01:48 · answer #3 · answered by marilynn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't hurt any more then any other injection would. If inserted correctly there should not be any problems in the future. On rare occassion one can migrate, but that only occurs if it has been inserted incorrectly. Once in a very great while a dog/cat may have an allergic reaction to the chip, again this is extremely rare.
2007-03-15 12:40:40 · answer #4 · answered by Great Dane Lover 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get it done. It's sore for a few days since a foreign object is being inserted under the skin, just don't pet their neck for a little while. I've never heard of any complications afterwards. My dog never had a problem at least. It's the best thing to do in case your dog gets lost or stolen.
2007-03-15 12:33:00 · answer #5 · answered by cinderelly 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure. here is my guess, I hope it helps.
I wouldn't reckon it would hurt too much, and anyway, what would you prefer, An hour of pain for you puppy, or weeks of pain for you if puppy gets lost?
I would think that there would be a slight risk of infection, maybe not.
2007-03-15 12:32:26 · answer #6 · answered by doggio_yodog 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My 5 year old cat(Fred) is chipped and we have never had any problems. I think it is good if you want to make sure your pets are never lost!! :)
2007-03-15 12:35:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dog didn't have any problems with being chipped.
2007-03-15 12:41:13 · answer #8 · answered by lexi m 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not usually, but one of our dogs developed a cyst around it, because of his skin allergies, but it was no big deal.
2007-03-15 12:36:09 · answer #9 · answered by Clown Knows 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to furrykids.net and see why that is dangerous
2007-03-15 13:10:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋