Should We Microchip Our Pets?

Just like you, I have often asked myself this very question. I like to do my research before deciding important issues like this, especially issues that have to do with my fur kids. And just like you, one of my worst fears is that my pets will get lost.

In an average year, eight to 10 million pets stray from their home in the United States but less than 25% of lost pets are reunited with their family. Pet microchips sound like the ideal answer but fewer than 5% of pets in the US are microchipped. The system seems ineffective because of problems with the scanning equipment, lack of a centralized registry and the fact that pets are given chips of multiple frequencies.

Here are considerations that I have looked into regarding the microchipping of pets:

SAFETY

I'm sure that you've seen recent published reports about a possible link between the implantation of microchips and the formation of tumors. I have read the information and found several points that made me doubt the validity of this story.

1. The study was from the 1990's. So why publish it now and who is behind it being published?

2. The study was done on mice. These mice were either inbred or they were modified to be predispositioned to cancer formation.  In addition, mice are much smaller than your average cat or dog...especially in relation to the size of the microchip.

3. It has not been proven that any of the tumors were directly caused from the microchips. All the studies can accurately state is that certain mice with microchips have cancer. Obviously, a percentage of the mice are going to get cancer to begin with and the studies don't have a control group.

While it is not possible to say that your pet will never get cancer after getting a microchip implanted, to date less than 10 documented cases of tumors have been reported in the 10’s of millions of pets implanted with a microchip worldwide. Also, at this time all of the national veterinary organizations agree the benefits for finding your lost pet far outweigh any potential risks.

WILL MY PET'S CHIP BE DETECTED?

Microchipping has not been used as successfully in the US as it has in other countries because our country has not implemented a universal standard so that all scanners can read all chips.

There are several microchipping companies out there, with various scanners which transmit varying frequencies. So how do you know if you're wasting your money putting in a microchip that won't be read by a vet, animal control officer or a shelter? While progress is slowly being made so that all scanners can read all microchips, the truth is that there are only two universal readers out there in the United States at this time.

The first one is the Bayer iMax Black Label microchip reader. This was developed and sent out in April of 2006. The other universal scanner is the Home Again World Scan Reader which was developed and sent out in the  fall of 2006. In July of 2007, HomeAgain announced a plan to reprogram and release an additional 30,000 global scanners which will have the ability to read all chips.

These scanners can easily read the different brands and frequencies of chips. Cherry Bend Animal Hospital of Traverse City has both of these scanners. When talking with Dr. Aja of Cherry Bend, who is also the North American representative to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Microchip Committee and an expert witness for the AVMA and the American Animal Hospital Association on microchipping, he gave a very simple answer as to why Cherry Bend has the universal scanners when he said, "we want people to get their pets back." I'm sure that this philosophy is shared by most in the animal welfare field but the problem is that they might not know that the scanner they have won't read every chip.I would recommend calling your local rescue groups, shelters and vets to make sure that they have one of these scanners.

THE DREADED DATABASE
The most important issue regarding the database is that you keep your information current. No matter what brand of microchip that you decide to use, make sure that you keep the registry updated with your current address, phone, cell numbers, etc. Some people don't like the database because they think it's an infringement on their privacy to have their information on a chip. This is a no-brainer for me and a non-issue but it's a call that you have to make for yourself.

THE CONCLUSION

Based on my interview with Dr. Aja and the information that I have read, I have concluded that I will be microchipping my own pets soon. However, please remember that microchipping doesn't take the place of a collar and a tag with your pet's information. In addition, if you decide to microchip your pets, take advantage of the company's "microchip tag" that they provide which is a tag that alerts people to the fact that your pet is microchipped.

Everyone must decide for themselves what is best for their pets with the information that is provided to them. Please do your own research and make your own decision.