The Lowdown on Microchipping by Sally Sizer

I used to have all of my Frenchies and Flatcoats tattooed as a means of (what I thought was) permanent identification. I did this because both breeds are very uncommon and, heaven forbid, should one of my dogs end up in a pound, someone could easily remove his or her collar adopt the dog; never realizing that, in fact, it was a purebred, or even a Champion!

What I had noticed over the years was that, when my dogs or puppies were tattooed, this began to actually fade after about a year and be virtually unreadable (depending on the tattoo artists’ experience). This is when I started looking into microchipping my dogs and puppies. Now lets talk about microchips.

The microchip is a permanent means of identification. It is done with a large needle and syringe that injects the small chips (about the size of a grain of rice) into the layers of tissue under the skin between the shoulder blades (subcutaneously). I just recently found out that you can now microchip puppies as young as 12 weeks old! The chip is made in such a way that it does not move around inside the dogs body. The interesting thing about the microchip is that it will last the life of the dog. Even puppies don’t seem to mind being microchipped as long as either a veterinarian is doing it or by someone who has experience doing this procedure. There are many microchip “clinics” across the United States that offer this to both purebred and pet dogs at minimal expense. Or, your vet may offer this at his or her practice for their clients. Generally speaking, it should cost approximately $23 to have your puppy microchipped at a clinic (depending on your geographic location). If you have your puppy microchipped by your veterinarian, it could cost considerably more. 

Microchipping has been around for several years. It was originally developed by an avian (bird) veterinarian and was used as a means of permanently identifying very young exotic birds, some as small as 4 ounces. The chip is inserted into the fleshy area under the wing of the bird. 

The “Home Again” (also known as Destron) and “Avid” microchips are among the most popular brands. It is interesting to note that Avid scanners can now read both types of chips. The Destron chip is now recommended for use in foreign countries when exporting dogs. The American Kennel Club recently passed a regulation stating that all foreign dogs entering the United States MUST have some form of permanent identification on them such as microchipping (which is preferred), be DNA profiled, or tattooed BEFORE they enter this country. 

Additionally, all scanners, regardless of the brand, can tell a vet, dog warden or shelter owner that a microchip is present. The Avid Company was the first to advertise a “universal” scanner that can read most chips and are now offering this devise to shelters across the country at minimal cost. 

If you think about it, should your dog become lost or stolen, if the dog wears a collar it could either fall off or be easily removed by someone who wants him or her. If you get your dog or puppy tattooed, I guarantee you it WILL FADE after a couple of years, even if done by a professional tattoo person. However, if you get your dog or puppy microchipped, this is permanent. Should your pet (or show dog) wind up in a shelter, dog pound, or vets office, they will automatically SCAN your dog around its shoulder blades to see if they are microchipped. Therefore, in my opinion, the best way of PERMANENTLY identifying your dog is by use of a microchip. So I guess the bottom line is: Collars come off and tattoos wear away, but microchips are “here to stay.

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