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Just wondering, are there any negative side effects of microchipping? I though someone once told me an animal is at risk for cancer at the injection site....
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Microchipping-Negative Side Effects?
- Thread starter white cat lover
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a small risk of cancer since the body may regonize it as a foreign object... another risk is scare tissue
The biggest problem that I have heard of with microchipping (both my cats are microchipped) is people forgetting to udate their contact information when they move. It happens more than you might think.Originally Posted by white cat lover
Just wondering, are there any negative side effects of microchipping? I though someone once told me an animal is at risk for cancer at the injection site....
The other negative is that not all places use the same chip or chip reader. Too bad there isn't a uniform chip that all readers can read, or a uniform reader that reads all chips.
My question: Since I didn't have my cats chipped at their spay surgery, can it be done under a local anesthetic or no anesthetic? Or does it have to be done under general anesthesia? I don't want to put my CRF kitty under anesthesia, but have been considering chipping for a while.
My question: Since I didn't have my cats chipped at their spay surgery, can it be done under a local anesthetic or no anesthetic? Or does it have to be done under general anesthesia? I don't want to put my CRF kitty under anesthesia, but have been considering chipping for a while.
It doesn't require anaesthesia. It's just inserted by a larger than normal needle and takes but a second.
I would talk to your vet first though as I'm not certain how your CRF kitty would handle any stress. Your vet will be better able to inform you.
Thanks! I guess I didn't realize it could be done without anesthesia. I'm taking Cleo in next week for bloodwork, so I'll ask Dr. Sue about it then. Cleo is the most laid-back, easy going, low stress cat I've ever known! Absolutely nothing fazes her, so chipping her would be a breeze. Maggie, however, would be a nightmare just waiting to happen.
i have several of my kiddos microchippedwe are working on getting everyone done. i think its a good safeteyto have.
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What you are referring to is called vaccine-associated sarcoma, a tumor which can occur in cats at an injection site. This occurs in only one out of 1,000 to one out of 10,000 cats (likelihood seems to be dependent on the type and volume of vaccine injected); so it is quite rare. It has been known to occur with microchips as well as vaccines.
However, since the diseases which vaccines protect against are much more common than VAS, getting any necessary vaccines is easily the best choice (but this does mean one should not overvaccinate).
Since your pet is much more likely to get lost than to get VAS from a microchip, the decision is heavily in favor of microchipping. One could also choose a tattoo, which may not be as likely to result in VAS (I could not find any studies which tested tattoos for this possibility; however, it seems that the injection is not as deep and does not involve nearly as much material as a microchip or vaccine).
Treatment for VAS is surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue. The average remission time obtained through this method is about a year (full cures are possible).
However, since the diseases which vaccines protect against are much more common than VAS, getting any necessary vaccines is easily the best choice (but this does mean one should not overvaccinate).
Since your pet is much more likely to get lost than to get VAS from a microchip, the decision is heavily in favor of microchipping. One could also choose a tattoo, which may not be as likely to result in VAS (I could not find any studies which tested tattoos for this possibility; however, it seems that the injection is not as deep and does not involve nearly as much material as a microchip or vaccine).
Treatment for VAS is surgery to remove the tumor and surrounding tissue. The average remission time obtained through this method is about a year (full cures are possible).
I never realised that about chipping, I thought it was the adjudent thingies in the vaccines that caused the risk? WE dont have the prob in the UK of readers not being able to read the cards fortunately.
Pookie Poo - you might be surprised at your cats reaction - I expected 3 out of the 4 I have had done to turn, and only one did. Molly accepted it, yet taking blood out of her requires an anaesthetic gel!!
Pookie Poo - you might be surprised at your cats reaction - I expected 3 out of the 4 I have had done to turn, and only one did. Molly accepted it, yet taking blood out of her requires an anaesthetic gel!!
I didn't realize this was a problem here in the States either. I was told by the humane society that scanners can read any chip.
some stress may be endured while microchipping. It is inserted with a 16g needle and some cats just have such tough skin that a little bit of effort on the vets behalf is needed.
The big problem bout 1-2 yrs ago here in central NJ was that shelters did not have scanners. I think that has all changed(i moved and live in northern nj now where they are on top of things)...yea
The only other thing i have seen is migration of the chip. Working in vet offices for almost 3 yrs now I've only seen it once. The chip migrated all the way to the dogs front leg, very interesting. We took x-rays just to keep on hand to show that it does happen but nothing to scare you away from chipping. If properly scanned (the whole animal underneath also) the scanner will pick up the chip. Good luck and go get that kittie chipped
The big problem bout 1-2 yrs ago here in central NJ was that shelters did not have scanners. I think that has all changed(i moved and live in northern nj now where they are on top of things)...yea
The only other thing i have seen is migration of the chip. Working in vet offices for almost 3 yrs now I've only seen it once. The chip migrated all the way to the dogs front leg, very interesting. We took x-rays just to keep on hand to show that it does happen but nothing to scare you away from chipping. If properly scanned (the whole animal underneath also) the scanner will pick up the chip. Good luck and go get that kittie chipped
Very old post but for some reason I am worried my cats chip is making his platelets destroy each other. Its idiopathic. And I had no choice for the chip since I fostered him at 4 weeks and had to vaccinate and give everything a normal shelter pet got but i ended up adopting him and he is 5 months very I'll on prednisolone the last couple months I want to remove the chip
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My vet, who I trust very much, is strongly against microchipping. She has been in practice for over 30 years and told me that she sat on a board of vets for our State when microchipping was being discussed as becoming a regular practice. She was outspoken about not doing it, but in the end it became popularized.
She thinks that the benefits of microchipping are not worth the risks. Microchip companies always present you with stats that more cats that are microchipped are found than ones that are not microchipped (which is a pretty obvious statistic and not a really useful one), but that doesn't tell you about all of the microchipped cats that are not found. If my cats were to get lost someone would have to bring the cat to a vet or shelter to have it scanned. Those vets/shelters would have to have the right type of chip reader that coincides with the type of chip that I had put in my cat. I would probably want to call all of the vets/shelters in the area anyway and alert them to the missing cat in case their reader doesn't read the chip. I'm also banking on the fact that the chip hasn't moved around under the skin and will be easy to find. I honestly don't think the benefits of microchipping are as big as people make them out to be, and I think people also downplay the potential risks.
I would never put a microchip under my own skin and I won't put one under my cat's. This is another product that is sold to pet owners using fear tactics, the same way rabies vaccines are sold using fear tactics and dry kibble for dental health too (don't get me wrong, sometimes rabies vaccines are necessary, but sometimes they aren't).
She thinks that the benefits of microchipping are not worth the risks. Microchip companies always present you with stats that more cats that are microchipped are found than ones that are not microchipped (which is a pretty obvious statistic and not a really useful one), but that doesn't tell you about all of the microchipped cats that are not found. If my cats were to get lost someone would have to bring the cat to a vet or shelter to have it scanned. Those vets/shelters would have to have the right type of chip reader that coincides with the type of chip that I had put in my cat. I would probably want to call all of the vets/shelters in the area anyway and alert them to the missing cat in case their reader doesn't read the chip. I'm also banking on the fact that the chip hasn't moved around under the skin and will be easy to find. I honestly don't think the benefits of microchipping are as big as people make them out to be, and I think people also downplay the potential risks.
I would never put a microchip under my own skin and I won't put one under my cat's. This is another product that is sold to pet owners using fear tactics, the same way rabies vaccines are sold using fear tactics and dry kibble for dental health too (don't get me wrong, sometimes rabies vaccines are necessary, but sometimes they aren't).
I am against them too but since the kitten wasnt mine (i foster through a shelter) I had to go through the motions of pumping him with flea meds, de wormer and antibiotics. And the microchip and tattoo they gave him. He is very mysteriously ill and is now on a no vaccination list the rest of his life I just wish it was from this microchip maybe causing an autoimmune thing which is why his organs are swollen and lymph nodes but I dont know if this is the cause. I want it removed!My vet, who I trust very much, is strongly against microchipping. She has been in practice for over 30 years and told me that she sat on a board of vets for our State when microchipping was being discussed as becoming a regular practice. She was outspoken about not doing it, but in the end it became popularized.
She thinks that the benefits of microchipping are not worth the risks. Microchip companies always present you with stats that more cats that are microchipped are found than ones that are not microchipped (which is a pretty obvious statistic and not a really useful one), but that doesn't tell you about all of the microchipped cats that are not found. If my cats were to get lost someone would have to bring the cat to a vet or shelter to have it scanned. Those vets/shelters would have to have the right type of chip reader that coincides with the type of chip that I had put in my cat. I would probably want to call all of the vets/shelters in the area anyway and alert them to the missing cat in case their reader doesn't read the chip. I'm also banking on the fact that the chip hasn't moved around under the skin and will be easy to find. I honestly don't think the benefits of microchipping are as big as people make them out to be, and I think people also downplay the potential risks.
I would never put a microchip under my own skin and I won't put one under my cat's. This is another product that is sold to pet owners using fear tactics, the same way rabies vaccines are sold using fear tactics and dry kibble for dental health too (don't get me wrong, sometimes rabies vaccines are necessary, but sometimes they aren't).
It sucks because my vet is very holistic and never pushes a vaccine and always explains the risks and benefits if you choose to vaccinate. My kitten will basically be my Bubble boy never going outside on a harness either because I dont want to risk him catching anything. It's sad. I also cant foster others right now just in case one gets him ill since he isnt vaccinated and cant be. Sigh
Hi!
Can you ask your vet to temporarily remove the chip see if it makes any difference and then later on, reimplant it or whatever you decide at that point?
Can you ask your vet to temporarily remove the chip see if it makes any difference and then later on, reimplant it or whatever you decide at that point?
Not you, your vet...
