Microchip - your thoughts?

hannahgirl

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Today my cat is in the Vet's office for a dental cleaning. I decided to have her microchipped today, as well...but then I got online and did some research and not all thoughts on it are positive. Have they been proven to be dangerous? What percentage? What are the pros and cons?

If I change my mind I could call them before it's done...I'm just not sure what to do. I thought it was a good time to have it done, but now I'm not so sure.
 

catnurse22

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After working as a vet tech for the last year and a half, the only neg I have seen is they sometimes migrate. I have never seen any adverse health risks from their placement whatsoever. Not sure in the broader spectrum, but I've probably seen 200+ microchipped animals and never seen a problem with them. I think they're wonderful.
 
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hannahgirl

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Originally Posted by CatNurse22

After working as a vet tech for the last year and a half, the only neg I have seen is they sometimes migrate. I have never seen any adverse health risks from their placement whatsoever. Not sure in the broader spectrum, but I've probably seen 200+ microchipped animals and never seen a problem with them. I think they're wonderful.
It really is reassuring for me to hear you say that, someone with experience with many cats! THANK YOU...I really appreciate it. I just love this forum, the people are the best!


What do they do if it migrates, anything?
 
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hannahgirl

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Originally Posted by mews2much

I have seen the bad side of them were they had to be removed.
They also do not work at every place.
That was my concern - if they are a problem, will it be obvious? I hope it's at least obvious so it can be removed.....

They said they use "Rescue" chip which can be scanned with any machine? I just hope if there is a problem I will know it before it causes much, but man...I know it's the same issue I had with vaccines. There is some risk with everything, but also benefits...the weighing them out part is tough!
 

mews2much

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That is what makes it a hard choice.
They are not easy to remove when the problems start.
I saw it on kcra news a few months ago.
How old is your cat?
Mine stay inside and do not have chips.
Its really your choice.


 

darlili

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My adopted cats were indoor cats (say I, since both were declawed) who were both picked up as strays by my county's animal control...no chips, no collars, both approximately 3 years old. My boy still tries to door dash, and has actually gotten into the condo courtyard twice....I am thrilled that he now has a chip, since the collar and tags they both wear could come off (breakaway collars). That particular shelter chips every animal that comes through that's adoptable. Granted, not everyone will think about chips, but all the police in my area have the scanners for the major types of chips, as do the vets.

My vet scans every check-up to make sure the chip hasn't migrated - apparently it's extremely rare, but can happen. I've also talked to a few vets, who all said the benefits of the chip far far outweigh any possible downside. Life is always a gamble, but this risk seems fairly minimal, compared to having a lost cat. I don't think there's a person in the world who can guarantee their pet won't get into the 'out'.

Personally, I think you did the prudent thing to safeguard your cat as much as possible. Don't forget to complete the registry of your cat with the chip company. And don't forget to update info if you move. People do forget.
 
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hannahgirl

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Originally Posted by darlili

My adopted cats were indoor cats (say I, since both were declawed) who were both picked up as strays by my county's animal control...no chips, no collars, both approximately 3 years old. My boy still tries to door dash, and has actually gotten into the condo courtyard twice....I am thrilled that he now has a chip, since the collar and tags they both wear could come off (breakaway collars). That particular shelter chips every animal that comes through that's adoptable. Granted, not everyone will think about chips, but all the police in my area have the scanners for the major types of chips, as do the vets.

My vet scans every check-up to make sure the chip hasn't migrated - apparently it's extremely rare, but can happen. I've also talked to a few vets, who all said the benefits of the chip far far outweigh any possible downside. Life is always a gamble, but this risk seems fairly minimal, compared to having a lost cat. I don't think there's a person in the world who can guarantee their pet won't get into the 'out'.

Personally, I think you did the prudent thing to safeguard your cat as much as possible. Don't forget to complete the registry of your cat with the chip company. And don't forget to update info if you move. People do forget.
I think I will go ahead and have them do it, then check the area often to see if there are any signs of anything wrong, and have her checked yearly by the Vet. I think if I didn't do it, and then she got lost, I might really regret that I had not equipped her with that one extra chance to bring her home. She is an indoor only cat, but like you said, one never knows.

Of course if there are complications I will regret that, too...even the dental cleaning she is having today...I stewed about it for weeks, worrying about what decision to make. However, I went ahead and decided to have it done to promote her health. Last night I looked at her teeth and saw obvious tartar build-up...and then I noticed she might've started to drool a bit...well, she swallows it but I hear a noise like that's what she's doing...so it was time to make that decision.

We just love our animals and want what's best for them...it's just the figuring of "best" that is difficult.
 

alleygirl

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Both of my boys have them. There is for more chance one of them will accidentally get outside than there is that one of them will develop a tumor from it. I am far more concerned with them getting lost.
 

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I decided to get both of my kitties micro chipped... I keep them inside but sometimes they like to sit by our patio door when we come in and out and they could easily get outside. Better safe than sorry, I say.

I agree with AlleyGirl, I think the chance of a cat getting out is much greater than the chance of something going wrong with the microchip.
 

footersownsme

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i am all for the chips....i'm glad you decided to go through with it. Even better that you had it done while she was sedated. I'm not going to lie those needles are really big and tough to get through the skin. Do not freak out if you happen to feel a scab where the chip was implanted. Working as a vet tech for 3 yrs I've seen numerous chips being implanted and have only seen 1 chip migrate. It moved down to the dogs front leg which caused no harm to the dog. Working at an emergency clinic and having the humane society bringing in animals that are hit by cars or other injuries, we check for chips and 9 times out of 10 they have no chip. Its sad and it would make life so much easier on everybody if vets required chipping. All of my pets are chipped and they are all indoor, like somebody said if they get out, lose their collars & tags there is always the chance they will be scanned for a chip. Glad you decided on chipping you kitty once again
 

Ms. Freya

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Both mine have them, but it's because they won't wear collars and if they were to get out, thier scars would pretty much guarantee that they would probably only be kept in a shelter for the absolute minimum time. Fortunately for us, the chips seem to be more regulated in Canada, so there's a much better chance of one scanner reading them all.
 

darlili

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Of course you're nervous - we all want just the most perfect lives for our babies - and I was a nervous wreck when my boy had his dental. The tech asked if I'd be available for phone if they needed me, and we both started laughing, since I wasn't even that sure I wanted to leave the office..I didn't even vacuum that day in case I wouldn't hear the phone!

As you said, at least if this way, God forbid, she ever gets out, you'll know you tried your best to make sure she'd be returned quickly.
 
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hannahgirl

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I appreciate everybody's comments and opinions, thank you so much for taking the time and effort to post them. It really helped me out! I just got the call from the Vet and my kitty is awake and doing well! So I get to pick her up, they said 4:30, no, probably 5:00...so I will probably go at 4:50 haha...

They didn't have to remove any teeth, though they said she was already missing one tooth! I got her at 2 years old, so I will ask the prior owner if she knows what happened. Now, to get her used to brushing!!!

Thanks again, everyone...
 

tuxedokitties

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If it makes you feel any better, 3 of my cats were microchipped 14 years ago and have never had any problems associated with the chips. The 4th cat was chipped about 8 years ago and has never had any trouble with it either. I'm glad everything went well today!
 

cococat

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mine is 100% inside and does have a chip. When we have moved or she has been transported to the vet, etc. I am glad I have the chip. Tags can come off easily.
 

kittybernard

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All of the cats are strictly indoor, but all 3 boys have chips as part of their adoption agreement. I always feel the chips during cuddles, so it's nice to be able to make a mental note for the future and feel when something might be changing.

Not to go all apocalyptic on everyone
, but I'd rather have GPS microchips. Blah blah blah, government, yadda yadda, new world order, blah blah, and I know there aren't any.. but all of that stuff aside, it'd be nice to call the company/get on a computer to find exactly where my pet is and retrieve them the moment they go missing. There are various GPS collars and such that will also call your phone if your pet leaves the house/yard but they are huge, have short battery life and are mainly for dogs. The only thing I've read is an article about a gun that can shoot a GPS microchip into a person and make it feel like a mosquito bite.. uh oh! Keep an eye on those 'mosquito bites'!
 
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hannahgirl

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Originally Posted by tuxedokitties

If it makes you feel any better, 3 of my cats were microchipped 14 years ago and have never had any problems associated with the chips. The 4th cat was chipped about 8 years ago and has never had any trouble with it either. I'm glad everything went well today!
This did make me feel better, thank you! Any firsthand experience is awesome!!!
 

mrblanche

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I have heard some horror stories, but only online, not in person. All three of ours are chipped. The shelter now does it to all animals adopted at the shelter. We have had experiences where we have called the owners and let them know we had their animal before they even knew it had gotten out. And we've had a few that our records showed were adopted at the shelter, and the owners had not done the required vet visits, spay/neuter, etc.

And, unfortunately, since our animal control officers pick up all road kill in the city limits, we've had to call a few people and tell them that their animal had been killed.

But we DID have one that had been hit by a car. We called the owner before she even knew the dog was out, and she was able to come and take him to the vet and save him. He had serious enough injuries that had it been an unidentifiable stray, they would have taken photos and put him to sleep.
 

howtoholdacat

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Hemmy is the first of mine to get a chip, yesterday in fact. Because of a possible encounter with a FeLuk positive cat (Hemmy's an indoor cat but got out) we had his boosters done then rechecked for FeLuk, for which he's always been negative. He's still negative (praise God!) but he tested positive for FIV which can happen if they've ever received that vaccine, which I'm 99% sure he has so no real worries. Anyway, my vet recommended chipping him just in case he ever got out and ended up at a shelter that euthanize on positive tests for FIV. This way he comes home to me where he belongs.
 
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