What's The Basic Feel Of Microchipping On This Fourm?

[Yamaha_gurl]

Can anyone tell me what the procedure is like? My Bella is scheduled for Saturday...I'm a bit nervous

[Guest zombrie]

All my dogs are chipped.. better safe than sorry.

[greymatters]

Can anyone tell me what the procedure is like? My Bella is scheduled for Saturday...I'm a bit nervous

It's a pretty simple procedure - Merlin had his chip implanted during his most recent vaccination appointment. I stood at his head to distract him while the vet gave him his shots and then implanted the chip, under the skin between his shoulder blades. The needle looks big but it's a subcutaneous injection (doesn't go into the underlying tissue) and it didn't seem too painful for him. He gave a little flinch but that was basically it. Our boy tends to bleed a bit so the vet and I watched him for a couple of minutes to be sure the bleeding stopped, which it did. We had no issues or problems at the injection site then or since. I would do it again without hesitation.

 

Following advice from folks here and elsewhere, we ask them to scan for the chip whenever we're at the vet's office, just to be sure it's transmitting properly and hasn't moved. Since it seems that dogs often get lost by slipping their collars and thus are without tags, it really adds to my peace of mind knowing that he could be easily and QUICKLY identified by virtually any ACO or shelter personnel, etc. This is especially important to us when traveling - many of the places where we might go for vacations or to visit family do NOT have no-kill shelters.

[Yamaha_gurl]

Thank you greygeek!

[dex95lucy]

I had my little mini dachshund chipped when he was a puppy in 1995. He was standing on his back legs, his front feet on the vet techs chest, licking her face as the vet injected the chip between his shoulder blades. His tail was wagging the whole time. He never noticed the injection. Chip is still in place after 15 years. Never a problem.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Why in the world would you NOT??

[Guest bluefawn]

All of my hounds over the years have been microchipped. Wouldn't have it any other way! Penny, Sassy, and Gracie are all chipped with Home Again, and there is no annual fee unless you want to upgrade to add additional services. Only one of my greys' chip migrated, and it was Evan. His ended up in his shoulder. So it's a good idea to just have your vet scan your pets during their yearly checkup, or if you take them in for a dental or whatever else they need to go in for. I remained one of the contacts on Katie, a former foster who was turned into a shelter 50 miles away. They had tried to contact the adopter over the weekend, with no luck. If they had not been able to reach me (which they did on the first try), Katie would have been euthanized the next day. Some shelters apparently don't keep pets more than a week. That's very scary! So I am definitely an advocate of microchipping, and, just as important, keeping the info up to date! Even if they charge a small fee to update your info, so what? Your pet's life depends on the info being correct on the chip! If you love them enough to chip them, please love them enough to keep the info current!

[Guest borzoix4]

I voted but my dogs are not Greys. We get ours done about 8 months old for females and 10 months old for a male Borzoi.

[Fostr_Mom]

Both of mine are chipped, they wear breakaway collars with id, and there is an id tag on their martingales (which they wear when we walk but not in the house). Maybe it's a bit of overkill, but I want my "kids" to have every chance of getting home should the unthinkable happen.

[3greytjoys]

Most GT Greyhounds were bred and reared as racing sighthounds. IMO, they are the most important dog breed to microchip. Any rare risk from a microchip is far outweighed by a Greyhound's deep-rooted natural instinct to run. A Greyhound gets loose more frequently than having any microchip problems.

 

Having done extensive research on microchip plans for a Greyhound rescue group, I highly recommend the AKC CAR microchip program (American Kennel Club - Companion Animal Recovery). AKC/CAR is the largest national (not- for-profit) ID and 24/7 recovery provider. AKC/CAR microchip program is absolutely the best value I found, and their scanners read all USA microchips. Lifetime coverage without any annual fees.

 

Separate benefit: Other pets who are already chipped with another microchip brand can transfer that microchip # to AKC/CAR for lifetime recovery coverage for a one time fee of approximately $17.50. No annual fees. (BTW, if anyone is interested, they sell a separate GPS collar tracking device for: $99.00.)

 

AKC/CAR link: http://www.akccar.org:80/

 

I have frequent experience with AKC/CAR and have been provided exceptional customer service 24/7. (I have no direct affiliation with AKC/CAR, nor am I being compensated for this recommendation.)

 

Microchipping only takes seconds. It's like a vaccination - for your hound's best chance of being returned. Like most chip companies, AKC sends collar tags as a secondary ID. (Good if your hound is lucky enough to be found with collar intact.)

 

 

[Yamaha_gurl]

I like the peice of mind, but my Bella screamed so bad that I don't know if I'd want it ever done to any dog ever again

[Guest june]

My problem with microchipping is that it requires a human to do the right thing and take the dog somewhere to be scanned.

 

My dad's last dog Fergie the whippet was chipped, she disappeared one morning, we haven't seen or heard from her since.

 

When they implant a teeeny tiny GPS in the chip, sort of like a puppy-lojack, then I'll reconsider.

 

Buzzy

 

All of my dogs are micro chipped. In addition to microchipping I also put the name of the company and the dog's microchip number (AVID# xxxxxxxxxxx) on their ID tag along with other needed information. My thought is if the number is there if someone doesn't have a scanner they can still find me. Of course my tags also have my contact information along with my vet's phone number (I am lucky that I live in a small rural area and my vet is the on-call emergency vet). I also have engraved on the tag "I am lost" "Reward if found" to encourage anyone who might find my dog to return it. Of course the best way to not lose your dog is to keep gates/doors closed and locked so your dogs don't get lose, but accidents do happen.

[Guest june]

My problem with microchipping is that it requires a human to do the right thing and take the dog somewhere to be scanned.

 

My dad's last dog Fergie the whippet was chipped, she disappeared one morning, we haven't seen or heard from her since.

 

When they implant a teeeny tiny GPS in the chip, sort of like a puppy-lojack, then I'll reconsider.

 

Buzzy

 

All of my dogs are micro chipped. In addition to microchipping I also put the name of the company and the dog's microchip number (AVID# xxxxxxxxxxx) on their ID tag along with other needed information. My thought is if the number is there if someone doesn't have a scanner they can still find me. Of course my tags also have my contact information along with my vet's phone number (I am lucky that I live in a small rural area and my vet is the on-call emergency vet). I also have engraved on the tag "I am lost" "Reward if found" to encourage anyone who might find my dog to return it. Of course the best way to not lose your dog is to keep gates/doors closed and locked so your dogs don't get lose, but accidents do happen.

 

I also need to add that my newest girlie was found wandering sore and hungry and picked up by animal control where she was turn over to the local SPCA. After more than 2 weeks nobody tried to find her; she was not microchipped. She was tattooed but was not registered and attempts to find her owners were without success. She also was in very bad shape; under weight, poor teeth, sore feet. She is now microchipped, she is gaining weight, her teeth have been taken care of and her feet are healing. She is a very sweet girlie, but is so passive it breaks my heart. She is getting better and actually started playing with toys this last week. She will be OK. I wish I knew more about her, but I figure she will tell me what I need to know over time.

june

[Guest houndog990]

my friend's daughter was directly affected by micro chipping. gabby's roommate brought home a boxer. she picked it up from a free ad in a pennysaver paper. gabby being the daughter of a responsible pet owner told her roommate to bring it in to the vet for a check up. the dog was scanned and the number contacted on the micro- chip. this dog had been stolen from the (locked fence) back yard and had been missing for a month.

i chipped my dogs when they went in for their next teeth cleaning!

amy

[Guest greysmitten]

Interesting that so many are chipped, according to the poll. I didn't expect that for some reason.

 

My girl isn't microchipped, but I've thought about it. The shelter staff locally has met us a number of times - it's a small town, so my dog is pretty memorable. Plus, I tend to show up there "just because" quite a bit It's right down the road and my son loves to entertain the kitties! We don't travel with Azi, but if we do .. it's something I would consider.

 

my friend's daughter was directly affected by micro chipping. gabby's roommate brought home a boxer. she picked it up from a free ad in a pennysaver paper. gabby being the daughter of a responsible pet owner told her roommate to bring it in to the vet for a check up. the dog was scanned and the number contacted on the micro- chip. this dog had been stolen from the (locked fence) back yard and had been missing for a month.

i chipped my dogs when they went in for their next teeth cleaning!

amy

 

Yikes!

Edited December 22, 2011 by greysmitten

[Guest Iceman41]

All the greyhounds who get adopted throughmy group(Three rivers greyhounds) are chipped. It's part of the adoption cost. Or should I say it's all included,shots, chipping and fixing

[Lexi]

I don't have a greyhound, but I do have a cat and she is micro-chipped.

 

Since her use of the English language leaves something to be desired, I wanted to improve my chances of getting her back if she was ever lost.

[HoundHeavenAZ]

So sorry to hear that Bella screamed from pain or fear of the chipping procedure. That's something you don't forget easily.

 

 

I got Leah 4+ years ago from a group that was adamantly opposed to chipping - due to an irrational cancer fear. Recently I discovered how routine and safe they were and allowed a vet to implant one in Leah in front of Petsmart one day. The vet explained that there were fewer nerves in that region (above the shoulders) that she injected her so she would barely feel it. It was very quick, very quiet and she had no bad after affects. Considering that she is such a drama queen and has that GSD down to an art, I was thrilled that it went so smoothly! And it gives me peace of mind that it might help her find her way home if she ever escapes my clutches

 

 

I like the peice of mind, but my Bella screamed so bad that I don't know if I'd want it ever done to any dog ever again

[Guest abarnet1]

I adapted a racer and as soon as I got here home I got her chipped. The cost was 35.00 not bad. My vet used AVID. The thing I did not like was you can not register on-line or upload a photo of your pet. I have sent in my information. That seems to be the big thing people forget to do. I am also going to register her with USA microchip database. You register on-line and they take many different chip manufactures. The cost for them is 21.00 and it is a one time fee like AVID. They also have a list of shelter and rescue center that use that data base. I checked to see if any in my area are listed. They also allow you to upload photos for easy identification of a lost dog. They will also sent out a alert to all shelters and vets within your area once your report your dog lost.

[Guest DoofBert]

Chips are the quick and common way to ID your Gh if they get lost. Also some states offer a permanent license at a reduced rate if your pet is microchipped.

 

Some folks may say not to chip because the hounds are tatooed. Identifying the tattoes through the NGA registry is a great facility; however, the NGA is not open 24/7 where the microchip registries are ..... also, not all shelters will contract NGA or local adoption group when they find a greyhound (don't get me started on that one!)

 

So, we chipped all the hounds that have come home since 2007!