Anyone know about microchipping/tattooing?

[Shaye's Mom]

Shaye is chipped with Home Again - the previous owner had chipped Gemma with 24PetWatch. I was not able to upload a picture of Gemma to 24PetWatch, and I never hear from them except when a yearly charge is due. I get e-mails all the time from HomeAgain, if there is a lost pet in my area - I was also able to upload a picture of Shaye. One thing I really like about Homeagain is that there is a downloadable poster with the pet's picture and all the information, plus those little tabs at the bottom people can tear off to call you if they find the pet. My vet automatically checks the chip each year when they go in for their checkup and shots, to be sure it has not moved. This should be part of a yearly checkup, IMO.

[misspodhradsky]

@Patty:

I don't know anything about tattooing, but I've learned that if you are in the USA, it doesn't really matter about what brand you get for your dog, because all microchips are entered into a universal database. The registry may be thru HomeAgain, Pet ResQ, or AKC Car but if your dog is lost, the information is shared between all registries.
In my opinion, the microchips are better,because they are easy to read and easy to track. There's no chance that a 3 won't appear to be an 8 to someone who finds your lost dog…

Ya i dont know anything about tattooing either. I think I agree, microchipping is probably the best way to go. I will do that with my dogs. Thanks

@Patty:

Why would you need 25 points ? I'm curious about that.

Um they have an incentive program type of thing. For each microchip you buy, you get 1 point. If you get 25 points, you get a free box of 25 microchips. ( so technically its buy one get one free once you reach 25.) and actually i just read it, after the initial cost, you never have to buy microchips again, because as long as you make sure everyone enrolls their pet with the enrollment form (has to have your number on it), then each enrollment of the 25 microchips makes you have another 25 points and you can get another free box of chips and the cycle continues. so for the initial cost of $250(if u buy a box of 25) to $350 (they have boxes of 10 for 120, and boxes of 5 for 65), you will have an unlimited supply of microchips and never have to pay again! So ultimately, if you breed and stuff, its a good investment initially for the long run. (or if you rescue too like me!) Im going to start doing it with my rescue dogs too now that there is an affordable way to do it! and with my personal dogs. anyways you can read more about the progrm by visiting this link. Its a good idea IMO. Oh, and they also have a rebate plan, if you buy microchips other than AKC's they will give you a $2 rebate per microchip thats paid quarterly. Its just a great idea for breeders and rescuers!

http://www.akccar.org/faq/index.cfm#enrolling

[misspodhradsky]

@DebraDownSouth:

I like to do BOTH. Although most shelters and vets scan now, a tattoo is great back up.

And no matter what chip, if you register through AKC, instead of the new rip off yearly fee some charge, AKC is once only. I have Home Again with Cara, but registered with AKC not home again.

Check about shows near you… often they have cheap tat and chip clinics offered.

Thank you for the information. Ill have to do that. I saw AKC is a lifetime enrollment. I did it with them for my other Basenji. Home again is a yearly thing, which i think is dumb.

Ill check the show coming up on the 29th and see if they have anything. do they have to be a certain age to do them?

[misspodhradsky]

@Shaye's:

Shaye is chipped with Home Again - the previous owner had chipped Gemma with 24PetWatch. I was not able to upload a picture of Gemma to 24PetWatch, and I never hear from them except when a yearly charge is due. I get e-mails all the time from HomeAgain, if there is a lost pet in my area - I was also able to upload a picture of Shaye. One thing I really like about Homeagain is that there is a downloadable poster with the pet's picture and all the information, plus those little tabs at the bottom people can tear off to call you if they find the pet. My vet automatically checks the chip each year when they go in for their checkup and shots, to be sure it has not moved. This should be part of a yearly checkup, IMO.

Thank you for this. I was leaning towards chips, but i wasnt really sure. I didnt know much about them, but the tattooing i knew NOTHING about, so the chips were better. but now i am sure ill stick with the microchips and use the incentive program to my advantage. Thank you for the help

[Kipawa]

@misspodhradsky:

Um they have an incentive program type of thing. For each microchip you buy, you get 1 point. If you get 25 points, you get a free box of 25 per microchip]

Can I just confirm with everyone here that one chip is all you should need for an individual dog's life?

[misspodhradsky]

@Kipawa:

Can I just confirm with everyone here that one chip is all you should need for an individual dog's life?

Yes I know that, i hope other people know that, but i just meant if you breed or rescue (you have alot of dogs and puppies) then the incentive program is nice because after 25 chips purchased, you never have to buy another one as long as your people enroll their dogs, and once you sell 25 puppies, you will get 25 more points to get for free ("buy") another box of 25 microchips so ultimately for the initial price (whichever program u choose (25 ct box, 2 10ct boxes ad a 5ct box, 5-5ct boxes, or go for the long expensive process of purchasing them each) you will then, after the purchase of 25 is made, you will never have to buy another one again. So for rescues that initial cost is great because its alot but after that is all free as long as you get the person to enroll their new pet (for $19.95 each pet, or 17.50 online.) You just have to make sure they include the incentive promotional code. mine is XXX5585. So just tell the new owners to type that in the online box. Otherwise i have forms with the number already on my paper that they send in. Its very nice. But not for just a pet owner, you have to be a rescuer or a breeder or it does you no good, as you will never need to get 25 microchips (unless you buy 25 dogs) lol

Anyways hope i didnt confuse anyone. Summary: Yes one chip per one dog for the lifetime of the dog, but if you breed or rescue, the incentive program is the way to go

[lvoss]

It really depends on the breeder. It would take me well over 5 years before I could ever claim my "free box" of microchips. Even counting my co-bred litters in 6 years time, I have only bred 16 puppies.

[misspodhradsky]

@lvoss:

It really depends on the breeder. It would take me well over 5 years before I could ever claim my "free box" of microchips. Even counting my co-bred litters in 6 years time, I have only bred 16 puppies.

you know what, I really enjoyed reading that. Im glad you didnt breed alot of dogs just to have puppies. 16 puppies is a good amount of puppies in 6 years. Very responsible. but ya they are never ending, the points never expire. so even if you take 20 years, they are still good. so i still think its a good deal, no matter how many puppies you may have (or rescue)

[lvoss]

I have only whelped 8 puppies in 3 litters over 6 years and am co-breeder on 2 more litters totaling another 8 puppies. I am just saying it really isn't much of a deal if I have to pay $250 up front for something that I am not even going to use in 5 year time. Especially since you must be sure that they can be stored so that they maintain their sterility. For breeders who have more puppies this may be a reasonable deal but for many who only have an occasional litter it is probably not as appealing.

[tanza]

@Kipawa:

Can I just confirm with everyone here that one chip is all you should need for an individual dog's life?

It should be, but chips have been know to migrate and can't be found… Or I have even wondered if when they are planned, if too close to the needle site, don't pop out.

lvoss had Sophie (I co-own Sophie with Lisa) chipped as a baby puppy but when it came time to get her hips/elbows done for OFA, they could not find that chip anyplace on her, so she had to be re-chipped that day.

And always good to have the chip checked once in a while

[lvoss]

At the shelter, one of the deputies told me she has seen some people when chipping actually push the needle in one side and out the other so the chip never even ended up in the dog.

The vet who did Sophie's hips for OFA said that because the chips are so big they can sometimes migrate right back out the tract they went in within the first couple of hours. My mom has two that the chips were placed a bit off to the side and migrated down their shoulders. I also have a friend whose dog has one chip that just doesn't give a signal so needed a second chip.

It is a good idea to have the chip checked during vet visits.

[listeme]

Knowing how fast technology changes and improves, I'd be hesitant to sign up for a program like this if I weren't going to be using it in a couple of years or less.

Remember VCRs? Cassette tapes? Telephones that attach to walls?

[misspodhradsky]

@listeme:

Knowing how fast technology changes and improves, I'd be hesitant to sign up for a program like this if I weren't going to be using it in a couple of years or less.

Remember VCRs? Cassette tapes? Telephones that attach to walls?

lol. ya i suppose you all are right. At first i thought about it, but i dont know. I guess its still a good thing if you have to do more than one chip in a dog. and i think they said the microchips are good forever (whether thats possible or not) I guess its still worth it for me, IMO. Since rescue and my personal dogs. I can use that amount of chips (in rescue) within a year or two. So…i think its a good deal. Whether it is or not...