Hi
Has anyone had a dog who's microchip seems to migrate around the neck?
We got Clunie chipped at about 10 weeks old or so and later were astonished to find a lump the same size and shape as her chip at the front of her cheast. We discussed it with the vet, who confirmed that it was indeed her chip.
we decided to leave it in as even if they operated and removed it, there was no guarantee taht it would not migrate again. This is the first time in our numerous animals taht we have come across this problem. Is it common?
Thanks
Vicky

Hi Clunie, Microchips do move. Joe's chip is right down in his Shoulder. It doesn't do the dog any harm if the chip moves, in fact they almost all move.

YES !!! Mac's has roamed all over the place. It's currently on his right shoulder. I don't believe it can do any harm.

The only thing to consider is that if they move away from the expected place, ie somewhere between the shoulder blades, it can make them harder to find. It's a bit shocking and worrying how some "rescue people" give up looking if the chip is not in the "right place"

I have heard of a transponder that has a polypropylene coating which bond's the subcutaneous tissue, which would stop this, but I guess it depends on the manufacturer of the chip.

I must admit that the issue of a rescue centre not scanning all around the dog was one that worried me. However our vet was pretty sure that most centres etc scan first at the back of the neck, then if nothing is detected, they will try elsewhere .. but I wouldn't like to have to put it to the test!!

I lost a Greyhound once during a thunderstorm, she was ear tattooed and the Council Dog Wardens picked her up then took her to a Boarding Kennel?? No one checked her ear, if they had and phoned the NRGC they would have known where she lived, it took three long days to find her.
They told me she had been sent to Battersea, so after a hectic Friday afternoon drive to London (she wasn't there) it turns out she was boarding only a mile away from home!
I do wonder if they check properly,you hear of so many dogs going missing that never get re united with their owners.

I used to always ear tatoo, this is my first time having puppies microchipped, and I was really concerned about it all.

I hope it proves to be the right decision in time, I can only imagine how terrible that time must have been until finding the Greyhound thank goodness you did.

all my dogs' chips have migrated, I have heard of problems where they migrate to a joint tho, which does worry me....

it has been suggested that the older the pups are when chipped, the less likely the chips are to migrate, which is all well and good, but the chips need to be in situ for liver shunt tests etc etc

I was actually considering going down the ear-tattoo road...Ardneish - I would welcome your input on this, as I didn't know anyone in deerhounds did that....the modern tattoos are so much better than the old ones (I have a hancock lurcher whose ears are illegible)

It is compulsory in Australia for all registered litters to be chipped which means they need to be done by six weeks so it can be on their papers

Yep - Keldas is in her chest (in one of the hollows by her breast bone).. cant be picked up by a scanner though unless you pull the loose skin its in forwards and make her flex a certain way.., not a cat in hells chance any dog warden rescue or vet would thnk to look there either.

I think i would prefer tattoos... but i think also some sort of national campaign/publicity would be needed to remind people to LOOK for tattoos, i have heard of a great many not being seen - i took a greyhound in from people who had had him weeks and weeks and supposedly were interested in finding out about his past....... no idea he had a tattoo in his ears at all! Dog wardens here (though we have a seriously dodgy company with the local contract at the moment who couldnt tell their arse from their elbow quite frankly), do not routinely check for tattoos (and she was convinced kelda was a wolfhound, and then a wolfhound x, it just doesnt fill me with hope at all!), and they only ever routinely scan the back of the neck, in fact she told ME that microchips cannot move..

Im entirely convinced that microchipping a pup at 7 weeks who is going to grow extremely large fairly quickly is the reason these move - if they have to be chipped at that age then theres no way round it but to make potential owners aware and that they may need to rechip as adults and/or tattoo for safety ID purposes.

In all honesty im not a huge fan of chips anyway, the number of people responsible for scanning dogs who cant do it properly, or effectively, or dont do it at ALL renders the system pretty useless as a means of getting a dog back - and thats before you add in issues with chips migrating, local authorities being unable to log in a dogs breed, gender or appearance correctly, or pass on info when the dog gets moved around.....

Oooh im a bit ranty today!

Hi Emmabeth,
Could,nt agree more with all your comments. Chips move around all over the place and are also very easy to remove once found. I,ve got no confidence at all in so called professionals abillity to identify pure breds let alone lurchers. I,m not at all clear abt the national database re chips since all and sundry seem able to offer chipping service.

My first deerhounds where chipped in 2000, the chips is still at the same place. Has not migrated

same for all the other's

only 1 chips went inactive with Earb he's been rechipped and the chips did not migrate either.

They are still on the left side with the exception of Clel who's been chipped in england at the right side. These is fairly new so I'll wait to see if it's migrate or not

Murrays chip has migrated to his neck - the other dogs chips have also moved. The only concern I have about ear tattoo's is that if someone wants to dump the dog then they will cut of the part of the ear that has the tattoo so they can't be identified as the owner. I used to have a greyhound (Irish - lol) who had had her ears cut off:(

The chip in Callie has stayed where it was put, while the chip in Fergal has
moved a bit down the right side of his body.
Fergal also has an ear tattoo which runs down, not across, the middle of his ear.

Spring

The reason for tattooed greyhounds being mutilated to remove the tattoo are unlikely to apply to tattooed pet dogs..

The greyhound racing authority holds registered owners responsible for what happens to their dog after its career is over (or they say tehy do anyway). They outline the appropriate ways to deal with a dog at the end of its career (rehome responsibly, sell on responsibly, pass on to a good rescue or pts by a vet)..

Those owners who do not wish to do this are often the culprits who remove a dogs ear, very often these dogs have either been killed and then had the ear removed or someone has attempted to kill them.. but some dogs have the ear damaged or removed and are then just dumped.

The whole point though is that the live dog or carcass cannot be traced back to the irresponsible owner.. nowt to do with theft.

Theives steal dogs to sell them, for as high a price as possible - or to ransom back to the owner.. mutilation such as an ear being removed does not serve their purposes (its a lot easier to lie to a potential buyer about the tattoo than it is to hack off a dogs ear!)

Having a visible means of identification will save dogs from being stolen in the first place, microchips cannot serve that purpose at all, and these days those making a lot of money out of stealing dogs to order will simply buy a scanner and remove the chip, if its easily felt its also easily flicked out wiht a razor by a practiced hand (and again far easier than cutting off an ear).

I agree Emmabeth - was only talking from my experience of having a mutilated dog. Got slightly off the subject of pet dog theft - was only my humble twopenneth worth

Cant' these owners transfer the tatoo number to a fictious person and address
before getting rid of them??
would that not be easier and a hell of a lot kinder than the cruelty they inflict?

I remember one greyhound scum bag, who shot his greyhound on the coursing field in the hedges just because it did not come out of slips well!

Eg
Mr Smith
something carvan site
no town


My deerhounds now have to be chipped in order for me to get their passports, so I no longer tatoo

I dont know .. youd think so really but i have a suspicion paper work is not these peoples strong point.

One fairly major scam is saying the dog has been rehomed - the NGRC figures for dogs 'rehomed' include a large number of dogs who were sold to vets to be used as practice 'models' for vet students. Great for the dogs that benefit from it but the devious way in which it was done is sickening.

Most of hte big tracks have a vet who will pts by lethal injection for a reduced rate, but saving money is more important to some folk!

I suppose the likes of Mr Smith, something caravan site, no town scumbag wouldn't have the capacity to think of transferring tattoo numbers to a fictious person - much more macho to inflict cruelty. Just like the above mentioned scumbag and his gang who I caught kicking my now lurcher William viciously cause william wasn't 'a good rabbiter'. I was very brave that evening as it was getting dark and I was on my own with my dogs and when I saw what they were doing to William I took them on and managed to get william off them for 20 quid! He was a living skeleton and full of worms and fleas. He was also totally blind in 1 eye which my vet reckons was caused by brambles tearing at the cornea.

William is now the most wonderful lurcher anyone could wish to have.

Sorry, off topic again!

Crazy world, goverment bans hunting, bans tail docking
but allows the horrors to carry on in the Greyhound racing world
but then they love to get their betting taxes

Mad world



Poor dogs, I always make sure I support as many greyhound rescues as I can afford

houndy wrote:


Thank god you were there Houndy!
and yes you were indeed very bravE!! Its people like you that renew my faith in Human beings
Big Big hugs to William, are there any photos of him on the site??

It just breaks my heart the cruelty that is inflicted on innocent I hate the people that do it.
x

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