I "rescued" 2 from the previous keepers. They (or someone before them) had them chipped, unfortunately through different databases. When I enquired I was quoted a combined cost of around £50. Sod that.

You should be able to get an exemption from your vet..

Also to answer someone's question about working dogs.*

Obligation to microchip dogs
3.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (4), from 6 April 2016 every keeper of a dog which has not been implanted with a microchip by that date—
(a)which is older than 8 weeks; and
(b)which is not a certified working dog* for the purposes of section 6(3) of the Animal Welfare Act 2006(1),
must ensure that it is microchipped.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply for as long as a veterinary surgeon certifies, on a form approved by the Secretary of State, that a dog should not be microchipped for reasons of the animal’s health.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), from 6 April 2016 a keeper who imports a dog must ensure that the dog is microchipped in accordance with paragraph (5) within 30 days of importing the dog unless a veterinary surgeon certifies, on a form approved by the Secretary of State, that the dog should not be microchipped for reasons of the animal’s health.
(4) A certificate issued under paragraph (2) or (3) must state the period for which the dog will be unfit to be microchipped.
(5) A dog is microchipped where—
(a)a microchip which complies with regulation 4 has been implanted in the dog; and
(b)the details set out in regulation 5 are recorded on a database by a database operator meeting the conditions set out in regulation 6.

Just to add they said on the news today that owners would be given 21 days to comply if found with an unchipped dog.

But no one's actually checking. It would be very unlucky if it came to light that your dog wasn't chipped. Its an example of a really stupid law. You chip them but then no one has to check it.

Do cats have to be chipped? I'd dearly love to find the owners of the flaming feline who defecates all over my grand-daughter's special planter.

Try prickly holly leaves - just on a temporary basis. . It might be enough to break the habit.

we had both our girls chipped a couple of years ago. One was fine but the younger ones chip stopped working, the vet scanned her all over but couldn't find it. Not long after that she developed a lump in her chest, it kept growing til it was the size of a fist and the vet suggested we had it removed. It was only a fatty lump but I do wonder if it was caused by the chip. She's only 8 so we'll need to get her chipped again, I guess

is microchipping 100% safe and painless for my dog?

Certainly not 100%. There will always be a risk of infection, whenever the skin is broken. It can hurt though. I had mine chipped while she was "under" being spayed. I was worried that a bad experience would make her afraid of the vet.

Some vets will give a local anesthetic which helps (but of course costs more).

Jessiejay,

I had my puppy chipped when he weighed 1.25kgs at 13 weeks (he's a very small dog). He didn't make a sound when it was done or seem to be bothered by it. He was far more vocal when he got his second set of jabs just after. It was very quickly done, I was warned not to stroke the back of his neck/top of his back until it had healed as there is a risk of infection as mentioned by CRTHD and also the chance of dislodging the chip.

Not having my dog done. Strong collar with a strong tag on is all that is needed for a dog. I only had him castrated as he was picking up the girlies scent, he is a strong dog and worried he might hurt himself trying to find a mate. He is now done and now does not worry about following female scent.
I could understand if they made is compulsory with cats, but most dogs are never without their owners.

Not all chips are the same anyway.. unless every vet has every scanner then its pointless. That is even if they can find the chip and many can't.

You are wrong. What if your dog was stolen and the collar removed? If your dog was dumped and taken to a pound without a chip they couldn't contact you and he may well be PTS. Dogs are being stolen from gardens, in house burglaries. It's not a risk I want to take. I know if for whatever reason my dogs were separated from me they have a chip if they were found collarless with all my up to date contact info available.

One scanner can read all chips and they can get the info with one phone call. Even if my dog was picked up dead I would hope it was scanned and I was informed. If it was injured I would need to know to authorise treatment as the RSPCA will only pay for the absolute basic and will PTS if it costs over around £50 and is life saving.

If for any reason me and my dog who never leaves my side were separated then he has a very strong collar on and only those who are up to No good would take it off. I very much doubt they would take it to be scanned ..

My vet said not all scanners pick up all chips. some cannot pick their own chip a lot of the time.

No but they might take your dog and dump it somewhere. It happens. You are never apart from your dog? you never leave him at home and go out or go shopping? I've seen reports of several dogs taken in burglaries recently. All of our 4 dogs chips are picked up by our vets scanner despite being done at different places and different times. I think they're pretty reliable these days. I get the vet to check ours every year.

How does chipping stop that?

You are OK with chipping that is cool. I am not OK with it for my dog I am fine with your choice even though I dont agree with chipping

As you have already said on this thread its a bit pointless and stupid as who is going to check..

If it were 100% safe then I would maybe have it done.. until then no thank you.

I do the best ( I feel ) I can for my dog.. he is raw fed, naturally vaccinated, naturally protected from worms and fleas.

Only ever lost one dog and that was for just a few minutes, long before chipping was available, said at the time if only they had some way of telling whose dog was whose as she had slipped her collar and made off under the fence. Nothing in the world could convince me not to chip even though mine are always on lead and I am incredibly careful.

With the increase in dog napping as prices for them has gone through the roof and people stealing dogs as bait, I can't imagine a more worrying time to own an unchipped dog.

But how will chipping stop this?

Lost your dog for a few minutes and was thinking "if only"
if you had a proper fitting strong collar that would never have happened,

If you have a well trained dog who comes to you on command, then you dont have to worry about them running off or slipping the lead.

I have a very young Staffy who walks next to me on command and wont go anywhere until I say "OK" then he can run around . He is a strong dog with a reputation that goes with it.. Its my duty to train him and keep him safe.


People do not think things through, Government say "this is a good thing" and people think "oh yes , so it is" and never think How the heck does chipping help anything that a strong UN-slippable collar wont?
.. I have lost count on how many parents on this subject have said "I would get my kids done if I could" And they would

She was a puppy you don't or at least I don't use strong collars on chihuahua puppies, and training was just starting, nothing will stop anyone stealing a dog you are right but the chip may just get him back to you and not in some pound to be pts because no one knows who he belongs to.

A lost dog/cat website linked to all vets and rescues would be a lot better and more successful at getting your pet back home again.

If you dont use a strong collar on your dog /pup then they will slip out of it. Your dog could have got run over or stepped on because "you" dont like to use a strong collar and now you want to argue a chip is better for "my" dog because yours slipped the lead

You do what you think best for "you" I wont be getting one and if my dog does become ill , it wont be through his food, vaccinations or a stupid chip.

it should be a choice if you get your animal chipped or not..

I can't believe that there are so called responsible owners on here that are against microchipping their dogs. Incredible.

I am a responsible dog and cat owner. that is why I weigh up the pros and cons of things that may or may not affect them. I can see no benefit for my dog to be chipped.

I could see a benefit in cats being done as they are always getting lost and collars are also always getting lost.. But a dog.. no

I use kitten collars they are only ones fit she is tiny, also never use a collar for walking we have little harness we use for her, the point is though and you side stepped it that the data base chosen by our elected government uses microchips so we can get our dogs back hopefully should they be taken. I am a responsible owner I believe in vaccination, feed decent food and microchip for safety.

It's no longer a choice to chip or not as its unlawful not to. If you chose to break the law I just hope your dog doesn't suffer for that choice as the punishment isn't small for being caught.

I am a responsible pet owner. I'm not the one who put my pet at risk for not making sure they were safe from harm.

According to some I was a responsible owner on the 5th but irresponsible on the 6th
there is no safety in having the chip! So not really sure why you keep thinking there is..
There is a risk of cancer, infection and other things things due to chipping
Even finding the chip is a bit hit and miss.

I have not missed any points. I know its illegal now to not have your dog chipped but unlike you I wont be risking my dogs health by complying to a stupid unnecessary law.

A tracker I could understand but not a chip

All mine have been chipped since they were first available only one dog had a wandering chip it was fairly easy to follow and could still be read. I think the risk of stealing with chihuahuas and use of Labradors in baiting far out weighs any risk of cancer which from what I can see is not proven.

https://youtu.be/bLlKj70X2-k

Is microchipping your pet a good idea? Dr. Karen Becker discusses the benefits and risks.

Dr. Becker's Comments:

A microchip is a glass bead about the size of a grain of rice which is implanted between an animal’s shoulder blades. It contains a radio transmitter, an antenna, and a computer chip with a 10-digit code. The information contained in a microchip has to be read by a scanner -- it is not a GPS system that will allow you to track and locate your pet.

Most humane societies and rescue organizations require that adopted pets be microchipped, so if your pet came from a shelter there’s a good chance he or she already has one.

For those of you who are still considering a microchip for your pet, there are a few important items you should first consider.

With or Without Anesthetic?

Most veterinarians will likely tell you that microchipping your pet is painless. But at my practice we would never even consider microchipping without some local anesthetic.

And I highly recommend that if your pet gets a microchip, you insist on anesthetic. No matter what you have been told, the procedure hurts -- the chip is inserted with a really big 12-gauge needle!

Potential Microchipping Problems

Pet microchips are inserted underneath your pet’s skin right between his shoulder blades.

This poses some problems because on occasion the microchip can migrate under the shoulder blade or up to the back of the neck -- or even all the way down to the belly.

So if your pet has been microchipped, make sure you have a vet scan to identify exactly where it is. Once you know where it is, check it once a week to make sure there are no changes, at that it doesn’t feel any different.

If you can feel your pet’s microchip, it will feel like a grain of rice under your pet’s skin.

Are Microchips Necessary and Safe?

These are the two major questions that most everyone asks about microchips. One, are they necessary and, two, are they safe.

As with any medical procedure, you have to weigh the risks versus the benefits, and in this case it’s often a very individual decision.

If your pet has a high chance of being separated from you, for instance he bolts out your door every chance he gets and doesn’t come back when called, a microchip may be a good idea.

Millions of animals do escape or get lost from their owners every year, and less than 10 percent are ever reunited. Even if your pet has a microchip, however, its ability to help you find your pet depends on whether or not it can be scanned.

There are four types of microchips used in the United States, and unfortunately most facilities do not have a universal scanner that can read all the different chips. Then, the person must be sure to scan your entire pet, not just between the shoulder blades, in case the chip has migrated.

Further, if your pet is microchipped make sure the microchip is registered and that your registered contact information is up-to-date. Otherwise, even if a facility finds your pet and reads the microchip, they will not be able to contact you.

So if you cannot commit to updating your contact information with the appropriate registration facility, getting a microchip for your pet is not a good idea, as you’re getting none of the benefit and only the risk.

What is the risk?

The Major Risk of Microchips

The major concern any time you implant a foreign body into your pet, whether that’s a microchip, a metal plate for a fracture or any other material, there’s the potential for your pet’s body to reject the substance.

There have been two documented cases in veterinary medicine where sarcoma or fibrosarcoma, two types of soft tissue tumors, occurred at the site of the injection.

While two cases are not very many, I believe there are likely many more cases that have not been documented. Research shows that between 1996 and 2006, up to 10 percent of laboratory animals had some type of reaction to being microchipped, ranging from a localized inflammatory response to tumor formation at the site of the injection.

Needless to say, it’s important to realize that implanting any foreign material into your pet’s body is a risk.

So if you believe that your pet is safe in your home, such as an indoor housecat or a dog that’s appropriately trained (which in my opinion would eliminate the need for chips!) or pets that are always kept on a leash outdoors -- and most importantly, is a dog that knows his name and comes when he’s called -- there’s a very good chance that you do not need a microchip. And in these cases the risks do outweigh the benefit.

However, if your dog doesn’t know to “come” or you let her outdoors off-leash and just hope she comes back, these are high-risk situations. Ideally, you should rearrange your lifestyle to keep a closer reign on your dog or get some obedience training.

If this isn’t a possibility, then microchipping your pet may be an option. But do remember that microchips carry the risk of an autoimmune reaction or a degenerative reaction where your pet’s immune system becomes aggravated or chronically inflamed, which can in turn lead to tissue degeneration and abnormal cell growth, or cancer at the site of implantation.

Are There Other Options?

The decision of whether or not to microchip is highly dependent on your individual circumstances and pet. However, if you’d like an alternative one way to mark your pet without implantation under the skin is tattooing.

For example, your phone number can be tattooed onto your pet’s thigh while he is already under anesthesia for spaying or neutering. Be aware, if you do this, that phone numbers can change! You’ll have to commit to the same number for the life of your pet.

This continues to be a highly debated topic in veterinary medicine, and it’s really important that you weigh risk versus benefit when deciding on microchipping. This will help you make the best decision for the pets in your care.