Has anyone FIRST-HAND experience of having very tiny dogs microchipped - chihuahuas / tiny Yorkies etc?

And I would also like to know if anyone has had any problems with microchips in medium sized dogs (45 - 60lbs), preferably before Friday evening. 

Thanks in advcance.

I have just got my 13 week old kittens microchipped - they are about the size of a yorkie pup - I have had no problems with them, and only one of them let out a tiny meow when the needle went in, the other didnt even flinch.  Also my familys lurcher pup is micochipped and we have had no problems with her.

HTH

Claire :)

For the first time I had a puppy Microchipped (medium breed 20kg as adults) at 11 weeks old.,  I was rather shocked when I left the vets to find the injection site bleeding, but then speaking to other dog owners was told by several that it happened to theirs.

She was Ear Tattooed at 7 weeks with no more than a squeek and no blood.  I had her chipped as it is required fgor the Pet Passport scheme.  My other sogs were all chipped as adults.

My own preference would, I think, be for tattooing for larger dogs, but doubt that you could you fit the whole i.d.  number on a tiny dog's ear - and the tiny dog for whom I ask the question is being shown at the moment, so a tattoo would go down like a brick budgie in the ring!

The lady who ear tattoos my dpgs removes some of the digits for smaller dogs (mine only have four numbers and the 3 digits that identify the breed group and tattooist.  she also Tattoos cats where even more digits re removed.

All my tattoed dogs are shown, and have prick ears.  I can pick the tattos out in their photos, but have never had anyone notice them in the ring unlaess pointed out to them.

Oh, that's very interesting then - I think we'll make some local enquiries - I take it you are referring to the National Dog Tattoo Register, is it called ?

I got my pug puppy microchipped last week at nine weeks old. He only weighed 2.25kg so he is small and other than a little squeak it didn't bother him at all.

when i went on the course to do chipping,my sister in law went to with her ferret and she mirco chip him,with small aniamls,puppies or kittens you donot put the needle all the way only half way,
some time there is a bleed from the site,it just the pressure when the needle comes out,the chipper should pressure on the site when with drawing the needle for a couple of seconds, we were told the dog may jump,squeak or bleed,i have done 75 since august with no problam to the aniaml.

the best time do them when they are 7 to 8 week still with mum plus the new owner has not got to worry about getting it done

Thank you for this information.  However the question is not so much about implanting the chip, but afterwards.  I mean, do any ADULT tinies show any signs of subsequent irritation or discomfort weeks, months or years afterwards - or is chipping still too new to be certain about long-term effects ?

 

there should not be any side effect when the dog is young or old,i have had my dogs chip the last 10 years with only one imgrating with the old type chip the new ones are coated with parylene c-an anti migratory coating.the speccialised coating is pitted to encourage the bonding process between the chip and the surrounding tissue,with in the glass casule is a silicone chip with a unique number,

when i have scanned dogs at shows that have been done by a the vet the chip is not siting in the correct place,the chip should be implanted subcutaneous on the doral midline just cranial to the shoulder blades,other word between the shoudler blades.where it sit and stay.

Just a point here about the tinies.  When a dog puts its head down, the shoulder blades are drawn closer together (that's why they like 3 finger widths between the blades on working lurchers!).  So if the chip sits in the area between the blades, might this cause some discomfort in a really tiny dog?

Yes.  Most now use the smaller (giving much clearer resutling tatttoos) Calipers originally fropm Canada where it used to be compulsory to tattoo all registered stock I think.

I think one of their recent adverts showed a Chi with it's ear tattooed.  I think both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and I personally see the two ID methods as complimentary to each other.  I feel a visible ID is more of an anti theft deterant.  A stray taken into a home at some point should have a vet check which includes looking in ears where this should be picked up, no need for a scanner.

The chips can hold more information, but more info could be dtored on both chip and tattoo databases, and both are only as good as people remebering to update the deatails!

Judging by a recent post on this board I think many owners do not know to do this. 

With having my pups tatttoooed, I know if the owner cannot be found they can always contact me as the breeder.

the only thing i donot like about tattoing,if the dog is stolen for one reason or other and when the time up,there has been reports of dogs ear beening cut off,where with a chip you can not dig it out.

Are you sure you cannot take the chip out?  I thought this was done quite easily when replacing them as they are just subcutaneous?

Yes you CAN cut a dog's ear off but it is then not of much value to anyone :(

you would have a great big hole,have you ever felt a chip undre the skin, beacuse i have not in the last 10 years,or when i have  just chip,the length of the needle is 1 inch with a 3 inch pick up point,so i donot thing you be able to cut it out.

At the end of the day each system has its pros and cons. I never forget reading about the woman who "found" two "skinny strays" in the Lake District and took them home to London I think.  She had the male castrated and it was not until a friend said, "Hmmm, they look like foxhounds to me", read the tattoo and the MFH came and collected the "skinny strays"; needless to say he was thrilled that one of his stud dogs had been castrated. 

Presumably the vet had never seen foxhounds? :O

If someone were that determined to remove ID, then I worry what they would do trying to dig a chip out?  Not a lot of resale value in a dog with i9t's ear cut off, a bit of a give away.

What usually happens if a tatttooed dog is stolen is it is released very quickly once this becomes aparent, either because of the fact being advertised, or the thief noticing.  I have heard this happening with a couple of tattooed dogs.

Also as the vast majority of chips are implanted byt the owners vet, and they are doing it wrong, then the question is WHTY?

beacuse most vet just pick up the dog neck and extra skin inject it in then let go of the skin,then the chip would lay either off the neck or down the side of the shoudler,beacuse the vet think it the same way as a injection site which is not.plus the old one did travel,were the new one donot.

but there for and against for both i like mirochipping my dogs,plus i did have two dog tattoo over 10 years ago,which i didnt like.

my jack russell puppy got chipped at 12 weeks weighing a grand total of 1.2kg, she screamed until she got handed a biscuit by the vet when she promptly stopped crying and munched the biscuit most happily :)

My last puppy was tattooed thru' her breeder, now it would be very hard to read the tattoo because her ears are so hairy - I think it would have to be shaved to be legible. It is only just about obvious that she is tattooed when you look really closely. Think for preference I would go for microchipping as a thief would be unlikely to have a scanner & therefore to know whether or not the dog was microchipped. Hate to think of my little dog having her ear cut off!!  In the event of them being lost, presumably either method should ensure return.
My big dog was microchipped 6 yrs ago & has never shown any bad effects from it.
As has been said, there are for and against for either method.

Well, thank you everyone for the information so far.  Please keep the messages coming - the more the merrier - and more helpful.

By the way - I heard about the foxhounds too - I suppose they were fell foxhounds which are much finer build than lowland foxhounds or even than harriers, so the vet may not have been too much to blame.  I do admit to a giggle at the time though!!! (Naughty me!)

toby my cav is microchipped with no problems, and chloe our JRT at work is now 8 months old and was chipped at 12 weeks she squeak a bit and bruno the rotti tried to get out of his pen as he wasnt happy that the vet had 'hurt' is tiny friend

hi when I took my chihuahua to the vets for injections at 8 weeks I also asked about microchipping he aid as he i a small breed she would not do it until atleast 6 months, so she i doing it the same time he is castrated so he wont feel it.

my tiny yorkie is michrocipped 4 years agoe he only weighs 4 lb ,he had to have a light something cannot remember it went very well ,all my  other yorkies bigger size .2 standard ,1 large yorkie have michchipped  with out any problem .my vets are quite caring ,if you want to see there size you can visit my web

My daughter has chipped all sizes from Chihuahua's to Dobermans all at 7 weeks, with no problems at all.

Like someone else said, a trained implanter is far better at placing chips correctly than a Vet, although very occasionally you get a bleeder, pressure on the site soon stops it.

We have found that someone experienced to hold the dog steady is very helpful, as some do tend to jump forward.

Hi,
I had my Bichon, chipped when she was 2 and she hated it, when we left the vets she was really bleeding. It is worth it though and they soon forget it.

We now have 2 BC puppies and the vet advised to have them chipped at the same time as spaying them, it's not very nice for them really so saves the stress.

Hope that helps a bit

if it a white dog the blood looks worse,because of the colour,not the amout of blood lost,in a black dog you would not notice it.

I chip my own litter at 3 wks with no problems they didn't even notice.  The smallest animal I've chipped was a kitten of 5 wks who was about the size of my schippy pups at 2 wks again no problems and cats can be more trouble than dogs over chipping.  On the cats you can still find the chip especially in the summer mths when they have less coat and tend not to carry so much weight.

I have chipped my pug pups at 7 weeks - really quite small then, with no side effects.  Oldest Pug is only 2 &half now, so no long term info from here, but as far no side effects onn any of ours.  Our medium size dogs (am Cockers) are only about 22-28 lbs, so not in the size range you queried, but again no side effects.  We do have 2 that were double micripchipped, which can be a bit of a problem if we tried to travel them abroad I suppose, but as neither of these boys have left the country yet this does not apply.  And yes, it was a mistake, not due to some dubious scheme :)  Vet did one in error when he went in for his rabies shots, the other was my mistake, due to being confused by my assistant for the day!  Have had quite a few bleed, doesnt seem to be any pattern, when doing a whole litter 1 might bleed while the others are totally OK.
bye
Gwen