Does anyone have any experience of this? I am just about to look it up on the net, and will ring vet in the morning, but thought I'd ask here first.

I have just noticed a small lump on my 3 year old girls lower chest, near the top of her left leg. On closer inspection it feels like a tiny cylinder about 1cm long and a mm or two wide, under the skin.  I can only imagine it is her mircochip. I vaguely remember something about them moving, but is it likely to cause a problem?

Paranoid of Northern Ireland......

Thanks!

Last year we took one of our girls to the vets to have bloods drawn for a DNA test, the chip had to be checked to confirm she was the dog in question, my vet ended up finding it at the top of her front right leg!!  It's not caused her any problems.

Yes they do move and can even stop working/deactivate.  From what you have described I would think it is.  I have not personally known of one causing a problem but I have had a couple move to random places.  One ended up in similar place the top of the front leg and another moved to the front of the chest.

I always ask my vets to do a quick check at booster time to see where it is.

Emma

yes they can move i know of quiet a few moving as for causing problems when they move that is not so common but i do have first hand experiance my bm lucy had hers done when she was 8 months old within 6 weeks it moved into the muscles across her shoulders, she woke up on day with a huge lump right in the middle of her shoulders. at first they thoug it was a cysist of something was given anti biotics they ended up taking her in and opening her up they had to cut the muscles and get it out. But that was not the end of it for her she had a reaction to the internal stitches and just kept filling up with fluid so had to go in for a 2nd op to sort that out. From what little i know, most the dogs i know whos chips haved moved they have all been done when they were very young for this reason i will not chip my dogs untill they are full grown and because of the scar tissue i have been told not to chip lucy again. Might be worth a trip to the vets just to get them to scan her see if it is the chip.

One of mines is at the top of her front leg and it is so near the surface that if you 'nicked' the skin you would get it out. Its been there a few years now and we have shown her in Europe without any problem. Its just a matter of scanning in the right place if you know where it is. The Vet advised us to leave it as it is butr keep an eye.

There are two threads in the FAQ Forum on this topic that you may find of interest. Here is one of them ~Microchips Still Migrate!!

I have personal experience of it happening twice. Once to my 3 1/2 year old bitch, and then her 10 month old son (living with my ex) Both were chipped at the same vets practice. Both have been removed and replaced, both were in the right leg when removed. I was always afraid of them getting stuck in the elbow, which is why we had them removed.

I always chip my puppies before they go to new homes, so they are done at 7 weeks.

Five of my dogs are microchipped, all done between 6-12 weeks. 2 have moved to left shoulder and 3 have remained in the same place. It may be coincidence, but the dogs with the migrated chips are my 2 youngest. No problems caused (famous last words!).

Yes, one of mine has hers at the top of her leg. It is actually written in her pet passport as to its poition.

Thanks, I am taking her to the vets this afternoon. My main worry is that the microchip is now pointless, as it would not show up if she did get lost (unlikely as it is) and scanned.

When you learn to chip, you are told to scan the ENTIRE dog, just in case, so anybody scanning a lost dog should know this.

I've never had chips move in large dogs, but lots in cats and toydogs. Eventually I realised it was down to where it was inserted. If I chip between the shoulder blades, as far back as you are taught, the chip will almost certainly move. If I chip right in the scruff of the neck, i.e. further forward, it stays put!

> If I chip right in the scruff of the neck, i.e. further forward, it stays put!

That's interesting Marianne, I will try your method in future.  With my bunch all of the American Cockers' chips are still in position, but Algernon Pug's chip has moved ot his chest, and Leo (cat) has moved down to his shoulder.  The rest of the pug chips are still roughtly in the correct position, although I think 1 or 2 have moved a little backwards.

Denny.....my dog had the same thing happen to him. His chip was removed along with a squash ball sized lump of tissue. He also had a reaction and needed a second surgery and anti-b's as he was swelling up and the vet sais he was slowly de-gloving his entire shoulder. Took months to finally clear up as the skin needed to attach back onto the muscle. He is not allowed another chip and has to get all injections in his leg from now on. Until you no one else seemed to have had such a bad reaction to a microchip......I took photos of the damage and I swear when I went to pick my guy up from the vets I was so cross at the damage I thought THEY had done. But realize now they had to do it...I thought he would be scarred for life and I am so glad he is long coated dog as the scar is still visible when I part the hair....I am glad You posted...makes me feel a little better....since I chipped him myself and for ages I thought I had done the procedure wrong....:(

freeways no mine was done at my vets, i know what you mean about how bad they look my girl is a wide dog and i though the first one was bad but the 2nd time they opened her up it was massive about 14 inches in length, she was black from brusing and had to have a drain in both sides for nearly 2 weeks after to make sure she didnt fill up with fluid again you cant see her scar, but she has a stripe of hair that is just a little bit lighter than the rest of her which most people dont notice, she was such a good girl as well she was only 9 months old when this happened but my vets were fantastic with her after the chip was removed i have a look on the site for the chip and it said on there the chips have a special costing to stop them from moving so i contacted them with all the info and all the photos i took of her, they then got in touch with my vets and sent me a cheque for all cost but since she was insured i gave the money to the local pdsa. she turned 4 in march and still loves the vets and it hasnt had a lasting effect on her. i have been told by a few people they have heard of the chips moving but not of any causing any problems, but at least we know were not the only ones.

I said, either on this or another forum the other day that my dog's chip has moved to his elbow and my vet said the younger the dog when it was placed, the more they are likely to move. The reply was that was nonsense and the only reasons for moving was that they were incorrectly placed or that the cheap type of chip (what ever that is) was used. This person advocated a law that all pups should be done in the nest, IMO not a lot of use if they are going to move, as even correctly placed chip will be missed by the person trying to read it unless you are insistent that the chip is there and working.

So I just don't know if to do them young causes them to move, that an inferior type of chip causes it or perhaps it is just the luck of the draw.

Er actually jackie you have misquoted me I never supported compsulsory chipping I also did not say it was nonsense my reply was

>This is an urban myth, as I have written above chips migrate becuase they are not implanted correctly or are the cheaper popular type that are not designed for animals but as an "all round"chip(same ones are used to chip plants, cycles etc)

>I have chipped 6 week old puppies & their chips have not migrated at all(mind you their tattoos are also legible & haven't moved either )

If I chip right in the scruff of the neck, i.e. further forward, it stays put!

Unless you're a vet you're not allowed to place a chip anywhere else other then between the shoulder blades, if you do and something goes wrong you leave your self wide open, if you do decide to chip else where any way, might be an idea to brush up on your physiology ;)

And as pointed out above, if correctly implanted in the pocket between the shoulder blades, are less likely to move then when planted any where else.

> Er actually jackie you have misquoted me I never supported compsulsory chipping I also did not say it was nonsense my reply was
>

Sorry Moonmaiden, read (urban myth) as total nonsense, do you mean there is something in what my vet said and chipping young can be a factor in it moving or do you mean it is total nonsense?

It was the thread that was about chipping in the nest I did not mean to attribute it to you but then I did not attribute anything to anyone, just said on this or another forum and that I was confused as to if it was the way to continue given that it does not work in all cases.

Urban myth really means there may be a grain of truth, but grossly embellished along the way, there is a breed for example that the NDTR will not tattoo as young puppies(Shar Pei), someone told me that the NDTR refuses to tattoo any Shar Pei-not correct but partly true.

I was told not to chip under 8 weeks, but at the request of breeders have chipped & tattooed at the same time with most litters & the one that I chipped later we used the tattoos(done @ 6 weeks)to id the puppies ;-)