Has anyone ever experienced a dog bleeding following microchipping?

I went to the vets with my friend last week who had her lab microchipped, and she started bleeding quite badly. After about 20 minutes of applied pressure it finally stopped.

The vet said it was common and often dogs need a stitch afterwards. She also said the chip went in ok, with no problems.

I have never ever heard of a dog bleeding before this. Has anyone else?

Yes, it happens occasionally because there are some big blood vessels in that area; it seems to happen more often with light-coloured dogs! 20 minutes bleeding seems excessive though.

I'm actually quite relieved that you've heard of it before!! I have been really worried. She is a yellow lab..(so light coloured).

It took about 15 minutes of pressure, then it stopped, then started again, then another 5 minutes of pressure, then finally stopped.

She seemed ok and wasn't showing any signs of being in pain, but it wasn't very nice to see, bless her.

> it seems to happen more often with light-coloured dogs!

I suspect that is just because the blood is less obvious on dark coloured dogs.

There has been a recent discussion on this very issue, rubyjuice. 

I don't think it is a small matter to rupture a major blood vessel, particularly in a very small, young animal where both the likelyhood of it happening is greater and the blood loss considerably more of a risk.

I wonder how many, quickly grasping the opportunity if these rules are brought in, will not only have the necessary training to minimise that risk but will be able to recognise a significant injury and offer advise or emergency treatment if required to.

If I did breed a litter under this proposed regulations I would be having mine done by a vet for sure.

When I took the course I was told always to warn owners the animal might bleed -and that it could be guaranteed to bleed if it was white but not black. :) I'd say it happens in perhaps 5-10 % of all cases. Certainly never heard of it needing stitches though -sounds like a very picky vet. Even wounds much bigger than that aren't often stitched these days as they heal better on their own.

So it is actually more common than I thought!!

Yes, I would always have mine done by a vet...and also at the vet's surgery, rather than a technician in my own home just in case emergency treatment is needed.

> -sounds like a very picky vet.

It bled for 20 minutes!

My bitch bled for ages, which didnt look as good she is white and I had her chipped at a Ch show, luckily we had already been in the ring!

>It bled for 20 minutes!

On and off; I carelessly chewed a hangnail too short the other day, and it was over half an hour before it stopped bleeding!

It took 15 minutes of applied pressure.  Then another 5 minutes of the same.  I would not be happy to see that amount of bleeding in a puppy just several weeks old.

It depends; if it was spurting out from a torn artery then yes, it would be serious. A slight ooze that didn't want to clot quickly is rather less so.

A torn artery and the animal would probably be dead :)
However, a vein that requires 15 minutes of pressure is quite large enough for significant blood loss in a young animal.

Even a small amount looks a lot; a torn ear can make a room look as though a massacre has taken place, when in fact it's only about a teaspoonful!

>Even a small amount looks a lot

I quantify blood loss every day of my working life :)
The point is, 20 minutes of applied pressure does not indicate a small amount. You said yourself you thought it exessive.
To put it in context following venepuncture I would expect to apply no more than 2 to 3 minutes of pressure to stop any bleeding in a healthy human.  The size of the needle used for microchipping looks plenty big enough to completely sever a vein in a human let alone a puppy so I suspect that is what happened.  Rather than simply holding a vein while a puncture wound seals over that is what you could be dealing with.
Where the chipper does not appreciate that or does not know how to deal with it you could be looking at a significant blood loss or a nasty haematoma.

>The point is, 20 minutes of applied pressure does not indicate a small amount. You said yourself you thought it exessive.

That was when it hadn't been made clear that applied pressure was stopping it, but it started again on release of that pressure. If it had been bleeding continually during that time despite pressure being applied then yes, that would be excessive.

> If it had been bleeding continually during that time despite pressure being applied

You've lost me now.  How could it continue to bleed with pressure applied?
Well, we could go round and round but, in my experience, if a vein does not stop after 15 minutes applied pressure to a healthy individual, you know a fair bit of damage has been done it.

>You've lost me now.  How could it?

Have you not had wounds still bleeding and soaking the pressure pad? You're lucky.

> Have you not had wounds still bleeding and soaking the pressure pad? You're lucky

Trauma wounds, yes, although I would probably be a little more hands on than a pressure pad :), venepuncture, apart from people on anticoagulants, no :)

If a vein has been completely severed could there be any lasting damage or health issues?

This is a 1 year old lab, so not a tiny puppy.....but just as precious.

> If a vein has been completely severed could there be any lasting damage or health issues?

No, the whole incident, handled as it was, is unlikely to have even been a danger to a healthy adult. 

That's good news!!! Thank you.

I have seen the microchip come back out the hole sometimes too so the vet will sometimes put some tissue glue on the hole to close it up just in case.