Are there any downsides to having a dog micro-chipped?

[CanBeGrumpy]

We are planning on getting our dog microchipped in a few weeks while she is having her teeth cleaned. That way, she will be under anesthesia, and it won't hurt her. Does anyone know of any downsides to having the chip implanted? Will it ever cause her any medical problems due to having a foreign object in her body? (I'm sure it has been tested to death, but I still worry). Will we be able to feel the chip when we pet her? (she is only 8.5 lbs--mini poodle).

Thanks to anyone who can offer any advice!

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

We have a tiny 7 lb. toy fox/chi mix and you cannot feel it at all. Its the size of a grain of rice. We had hers implanted when she was spayed.

 

[MomofKatie]

We have a 7lb cat who is "chipped"- I can't tell where it is at all when I pet her. I suppose there could be a very very slight risk of infection or allergic reaction, but IMO, it is worth the remote risk to make sure your dog has the permanent ID that chipping provides.

 

[arminnie]

I have two cocker spaniels that are chipped. I can feel where the chips are. One was done while he was out being neutered - the other one (rescue) was already neutered so they just injected it much like a shot. No problem with either.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Had my puppy microchipped at age 4 months. She didn't feel a thing. I cringed, but she didn't even yelp.

When you register, try to order an extra tag. We lost ours within the first month..I attached her leash to the ring for the tag, instead of the ring on the collar. I had to order an extra one, and I was nervous for two weeks until it came.

ETA..my vet uses Home Again. I was pleasantly surprised when I signed up that the annual fee of $15 includes an insurance policy that covers up to $3000 for injuries incurred while the animal is lost.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Our dog is microchipped and we wouldn't have it any other way. It's highly unlikely she'd get lost (especially without her collar), but it's peace of mind knowing that chip is there in case she does get lost. The chip hasn't caused any harm or medical issues whatsoever.

 

[JR6ooo4]

It goes just under the skin. I think dogs do not have as many nerve endings in their skin as humans. Our two wrestle together by biting at each others furry cheeks and stuff. Pulling playfully at each other, they never yelp or whine....

when they get shots at the vet, he/she just bunches up a little skin with a big pinch and pokes the shot in the top. Most the time they do not feel it.

It is probably much less painfull than getting your ears pierced.

Mikeeee

 

[suzimar57]

wish we could have DH's father "micro-chipped" - FIL tends to wander off without telling anyone where he's going (like setting a cup of coffee beside his desk, taking the train into manhattan, but not returning until 2 am - yeah, lots of fun searching the house for his body that night....)

sometimes we wonder if these "excursions" are early signs of dementia...

does LoJack make something for the elderly, disoriented parent?!

 

[bumbershoot]

wish we could have DH's father "micro-chipped" - FIL tends to wander off without telling anyone where he's going (like setting a cup of coffee beside his desk, taking the train into manhattan, but not returning until 2 am - yeah, lots of fun searching the house for his body that night....)

sometimes we wonder if these "excursions" are early signs of dementia...

Well, yes. That's what my grandmother was doing well before being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

She would wind up in the strangest places in her little town...but when we finally thought about it, she seemed to be following a map of her hometown, and was trying to go places she went when younger. Didn't make much sense in Port Orange FL, but if she'd been in Orange, NJ it would have been more meaningful!

She was doing this in her car, too, which was bad, and finally her oldest daughter had to get rid of her driver's license, confiscate the keys, and not allow her to drive. Then she would walk the routes. My aunt finally had to move in with her.

I would definitely be concerned about your FIL.

 

[Imzadi]

Supposedly the chips are encapulated so they don't degrade in the body. But I worry about the chip being there still. Breast implants weren't known they could degrade & cause all the problems they didn until YEARS later, when they did degrade.

I got my kitty from the pound with the chip already implanted, or I wouldn't have had it done.

However, after seeing how many pets from Hurricane Katrina have still nevr made it back to their owners, overall, the chip is a good thing.

When you register, try to order an extra tag. We lost ours within the first month..I attached her leash to the ring for the tag, instead of the ring on the collar. I had to order an extra one, and I was nervous for two weeks until it came.

I'm not quite sure why you were worried. The whole point of the chip in the body is to have ID that wouldn't get lost. If, whoever found your pup brought her to a vet or or center where they could easily scan the info on the chip. Of, course, if they didn't bring in the pup to be scanned, then, yes, there would be a problem.

 

[Big V]

We have our macaw and cockatoo chipped!