With compulsory microchipping for our dogs in England starting from 6 April 2016 (I’m not sure if Scotland and Wales start on this day). It is worth pausing for thought that when putting foreign bodies into our dogs, for some, it has not been plain sailing.
www.microchip-implants.co.uk/index.php/adverse-reaction-case-studies
www.chipmenot.org.uk/
For anybody not up to date with microchip adverse reactions, any microchip that has moved from it’s original site of implant must be reported by law to the Secretary of State through the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Your vet should be happy to do this. The microchip on one of my own dogs moved down to his upper leg and my vet has reported it.
The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015
Adverse reactions
10.—(1) Anyone who identifies an adverse reaction to a microchip or the failure of a microchip must report that reaction or failure to the Secretary of State.
(2) In this regulation “adverse reaction” means—
(a) any unnecessary pain or suffering, or any pathology on the part of a dog which is caused, or appears to be caused, by the implanting of a microchip; or
(b) the migration of a microchip from the site of implanting.
(3) In this regulation “failure of a microchip” means failure to transmit the number encoded in the microchip when scanned by an appropriate transceiver
A vets view on microchipping.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3520242/Don-t-small-dogs-microchipped-procedure-deadly-warn-vets-urge-owners-flout-new-law.html
That is the first time I have read about adverse reactions to microchips. As my dog was a rescue, she was already chipped but personally, I think I would take the risk. We have had a couple of close calls with losing her when out before.
That information would make me think about delaying chipping for a young puppy However.
Sadly, as with all things, there will be cases where dogs become sick or even die after microchipping. Some of this will be caused by microchipping and others will just be a coincidence. It’s a bit like vaccination- some people will see the list of possible side effects or go off of the horror stories they hear and decide against vaccinating their children/pets.
Personally I would much rather microchip than not microchip, and have had all my animals chipped excluding exotics and fish. Several months ago my sister brought home a loose dog- he had a collar but no tag. We took him to the vets and they found he had a chip, so he was reunited with his owners. He had apparently had a tag on the collar but he must have lost it, and was found wandering a good hour’s drive from where he had escaped the owner’s garden. If he hadn’t been chipped, it’s likely he would have never found his way home.
I’m sure that there are some implanters out there that do bad jobs and of course there will be animals that react badly, as with absolutely anything (medication, vaccination, flea/worm treatment, food).
However the majority of the studies done on the correlation of microchips and tumours are done on rats/mice (as well as other bizarre animals such as shrews, bats and even a common marmoset). Not only can you not generalise findings between species, but some of these studies used genetically altered rats/mice that are extremely prone to tumours. So, until there are reliable, long-term studies done on the general dog population that can highlight any correlation between tumours and microchips, I will continue to abide by the law and microchip my dogs.
A disturbing article on a seven week old Chihuahua puppy.
http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/163676/Vet%20warning%20after%20microchip%20lodges%20in%20puppy’s%20brain
http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/163758/
In April,vet Richard Allport voiced his concerns on microchipping puppies at eight weeks of age, (article posted April 2nd within this topic).