Sub-dermal Microchip I.D. for animals

brianlux

Has anyone here had a problems using sub-dermal microchip implants for pets- particularly cats? In some ways it sounds like a good idea but I also understand they often cause scar tissue and I'm even more concerned by this quote from the linked article.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks!

http://voices.yahoo.com/pros-cons-pet-m ... 95036.html

Problems with Microchip Identification

If your pet is lost and taken to an animal rescue or shelter, it can be scanned for a microchip implant, the identification information can be read and you can be notified through the database agency.

While the locating the owner of a pet with a microchip implant sounds easy enough, in fact, there are some significant problems with the system.

First, since there are multiple databases of pet microchip implant information, animal shelter employees won't automatically know which one to contact with an animal's identification number to find its owner. There are efforts being made to create a structure to coordinate all database information, but, in the meantime, locating the right pet microchip implant database can be time-consuming.

Second, not all pet microchip implants use the same radio frequency, so they can't all be read with the same scanner. While a universal scanner has been developed that, in theory, reads all pet microchips, not all animal shelter have this device. Further, some pet microchip manufacturers encrypt the frequency at which their microchips can be read to ensure that they only can be read by the scanners that they make and sell. The result of these incompatibilities is that it may, at times, be difficult for a shelter to read the information on your pet's microchip implant or, in the worst case, even to determine that it has a microchip.

Finally, there is some controversy as to whether microchips may increase the incidence of cancer in pets. While studies have shown evidence that microchips can cause cancer in mice and rats, the risk to pets such as dogs is less clear. Nevertheless, if you are considering a pet microchip implant, you might want to investigate this topic further.

tallman72

i have had all my dogs chipped , i think its a good idea , desex, micro chip and register very important things in pet owner ship , i woudnt worry about all that other crap

Who Princess

I've had several dogs microchipped over the years, starting when it became available. Never had any problems. Like tallman, I think it's part of responsible pet ownership.