[Flutterby]

This has been bothering me all day... I've decided I want Toby and Mia microchipped...

I put Mia out to potty at bf's house and I was standing right inside the door watching her .. She was no more than 10 ft away from the door.. Well, this truck was driving by and slowed down when they saw Mia.. So immediately *PANIC MODE* kicked in and I went out with her and brought Toby along.. This guy circled atleast two more times and slowed down everytime he saw her.. So I'm like.. hmm.. and kinda mad at the same time..

Question is.. if I microchip her, then someone steals her, then they microchip her as well.. How would the scanner read it?? This has been bugging me allll day!

 

[Mastray]

I think they'd check before she's microchipped... and that's how they'd find out she's stolen. That unfortunately is the only way... is if they bring her into the vet place and for some reason "randomly" check or check when they are going to put one in. I'm not sure... every vet is different... it's a good question! I would be worried too!!!

 

[southerngirls]

before a vets office can microchip they have to check to make sure the dog is not chipped already! this is policy unless you are dealing witha shady vet clincic. As for the finding the chip, unless she is brought in as a "stray" or you happened to report her stolen to the partiular vet she may be taken to they dont typically scan animals that come in.

I know how you feel-ever since chole was stolen i have gone into panic mode as well. Both girls are registerd with the Companion Animal Recovery with AKC and both are chipped and i ALWAYS wonder if that will be enough

 

[sharonL]

That is a bothersome question for sure.  I have a couple of things.  One, if you see the truck again I would write down the make, model and license plate number, just to be safe if something were to happen.  It is suspicious to say the least.

On the second part, yes it is true that animal hospitals who are involved in a microchip program (which requires a signed contract and many rules with the maker of the chips) is suppose to scan any animal that is brought in before placing a "new chip"

The MAJOR PROBLEM.....with that is up until just recently (within the last month) there has never been a universal chip reader.  Now Bayer has come out with one that research shows reads 90-95% of the chips.  

So, what that means is that you could have a chip placed in your dog that was made by one company and the animal shelter or veterinary hospital may have a reader that is made by a totally different company and therefore it wont read that there is a chip there at all, even when there is.

This has been a major concern, problem within the veterinary community because we feel it has created a false sense of security to owners. That is why Bayer has made efforts to create a universal scanner.  

Until there is a Universal Scanner that is 100% effective at reading ALL CHIPS made by ALL Companies there is still room for error.

(sorry for such a long post)

 

[Alicia]

When I brought Lola to the vet for the first time they checked her for a microchip, then when I changed vets that's one of the first things they did too.
I got Lola microchipped when she was spayed.

 

[Honeyec]

Obviously a micro-chip is no guarantee that you'll get your dog back if she ever gets lost/stolen, but it certainly increases the odds a good bit.

I'm also in a state of paranoia at the moment.  Ireland has a type of "gypsy" population (only they're ethnic Irish, not Roma or anything like that) who are notorious for stealing dogs and running puppy mills.  (The politically correct term for them is "Travellers" but that's glossing it, to say the least!)  Anyway, a father and son called to our house yesterday to see if we needed any odd jobs done, and of course, Tink and Hector ran to the window to see who was there.  Emmet said the boy was knocking on the window and stuff at them.  No problem there, but now I'm super-paranoid that the father knows they're there and will come back to try and take them.  If I could tattoo Tink with a sign saying "I'm spayed, don't bother stealing me!" I would.

 

[spoiledrottenboxers]

I agree.  The microchips are not 100% guaranteed for a lost/stolen pet, unless the pet is scanned for them.  Then, you can't guarantee that every vet is going to scan them.

About a year ago at my job, the New Jersey State Police had one of their dogs stolen.  How that is possible?...don't ask me.  But the police department called all the local vets and everyone put up signs in their hospitals, for the employees, that if ANY German Shepherd came in they HAD to scan it.  They did eventually find the dog.

Another thing that most vets don't tell you...The vets at my job have to tell people, and my hospital also had a lecture for clients and other doctors about microchipping...is that a microchip can move from the spot they place it in.  They say you have to keep the pet calm for the first 24-48 hours after microchipping, because the microchip can actually move down the pet's shoulder, sometimes into the elbow or even all the way down to the lower leg.  A lot of people have lost pets due to this reason.  If someone found the pet and brought it to a local animal hospital to scan it, the vet or tech would only scan in the area that the chip would normally be placed.  There have been many incidents where the pet was actually microchipped but it had shifted to the elbow, never scanned in that area, and the owners never found their pets.

Sorry this was so long.  Hope it helps though.

 

[bubba]

Yeah i think they would check for microchips before anything. Im sorry that you got scared and i hope they dont come back. Just sick Toby and your bfs dog on them if they try anything stupid.

 

[uridiscence]

Our vet checked for a microship when we took Macy in to get her chipped. Even though we knew she didn't have one because we got her at 11 weeks old from a breeder, but they all check just to be safe.

If you are worried about someone stealing your puppy, and I am too, just keep a really close eye on them when they are outside. When we lived at our house we had a big yard and I didn't feel right letting the dogs out by themselves so I would just go out and sit on the porch and watch them play. That way I could make sure they didn't run away or that someone did come by and take them from me.

My dogs are cute! I can't let someone steal them!