Kathy in Yonkers, I have a "habit" of researching things before I use them or do them to my own dogs. At the time I was considering microchipping, their were two types of microchips available...the AKC "Home Again System" and the plain "Avid" chips. The Home Again System was much more expensive than the Avid, which is always a consideration! But years ago, the Home Again System was the chip that had a good reputation of not migrating to another part of the body, where the Avid chip had a higher rate of migrating (researched with 5 local vets and their responses...since they were the ones that had to try to "find them").
But, Avid did change the "shell" or membrane of their chip to clone the Home Again System, and perfected it recently with their "Euro" chip. So currently, I feel both are safe to use as far as migration. The Home Again Chip is registered to the vet that purchases them until the form is sent in by the new owner. I always place my name on the application as the alternative contact, with that requirement also in my puppy contract. The new owner is the primary contact. The Avid Chip is registered to the purchaser (Breeder) which as Cathy stated can be a very good thing. It can then be registered to the new owner or kept registered to the breeder as Cathy stated. My research also proved that the scanners used in my area by local vets, shelters and animal control wardens will pick up the Home Again Systems and the Avid Euro Chips, but many will not pick up the Avid plain chips, but just says on the scanner "Avid Chip". I would prefer them to have the actual chip number so they can contact the owner/vet/me. But, that is in my area, here in the Northeast. Pain........Microchips.........the needle is large, but it is also hollow, surgical steel and extremely sharp. Sharp = less pain! I have worked many microchip clinics and given many microchip injections, and it is no less uncomfortable than any other injection. Most dogs & puppies don't even yelp once. They behave as if nothing happened. Some yelp once and it is over. (The manner in which you lift the hair/skin just over the whithers/lower neck and inject into the triangle helps with the discomfort. Slips right in.) But those are the same dogs/puppies that would yelp with an injection as well. Imagine it is a tiny needle and just DO IT...and you will see it is over quickly. It is like anything else we do...the more you do it...the easier it is mentally to accomplish it. Pain.......Dew Claw Removal......I shared this info with another Cavalier Breeder. She has begun to remove dew claws earlier as well. I used to remove them at 4 days of age and never any sooner. I was told to do it that way...and just always did it that way (or had the vet do it at 4 days). On several litters I did an experiment. The next litter I did it at 3 days. The next litter I removed them at 2 days. The next litter I removed them a 36 hours old (day and a half). I will NEVER remove them after they are 2 days old again if I can help it! It is remarkable the difference between 2 days and 3 days of age! At 2 days they sleep right through the process! One or two might whimper for a moment, as if they are having a bad dream...then go off to sleep again. At 3 days and especially 4 days they scream as if they are having toes cut off (which they are!). Then, afterwards, they are restless and whimpering off and on throughout the day as if they are hurting (which they are!). I can only guess that logically their nerves are not developed enough at 1 1/2 to 2 days of age to feel the pain. So I now only remove before 2 days of age. I do NOT remove them right after birth. They have been through enough on that day. Winnie, The family (their has been several actually) that would not refuse to purchase a puppy that had a microchip...one family could not imagine the pain and didn't want their puppy put through that. The other family didn't want "a foreign object" in their puppy. Once I told a little white lie and told them the chips were already their...I did not hear back from them. Could have been a puppy mill purchase for all I know. One family who balked at the idea of purchasing a puppy with a chip did get over it and loves the idea now. Their youngster ate something inappropriate and had to have an X-ray at the emergency vets, and the vet told them how nice and all the reasons it was wonderful their dog was chipped, and they are fine with it now. Amanda, Three months of age is fine for chipping your dog! Just go and get it done. Yes, now that your puppy is older, it will yelp...but only for a moment. If it bothers you that much, just step out of the room and let them do it and return. You will enjoy the peace of mind that you have a permanent form of ID attaching your dear baby TO YOU! The chips have a shell or membrane which resembles glass or slick plastic around it. You can hit it with a rubber mallet and it won't break (I tried that too! <VBG>). The shell/membrane was changed to a rough, abrasive texture that when inserted, forms an immediate "scar" in the tissue it is embedded into. That "scar" keeps the chip put. They used to move around (not inside but outside between the skin and fat layer) and could be found down near the rear or belly of the dogs. Now, they stay put where you put them. http://www.lambriarvet.com/catalog/microchips.htm http://www.avidmicrochip.com/ Above are 2 good sites to do your own homework on the two most popular chips. p.s. Like Kris stated, we here in our area take a "tally" on breeders who are having or planning on having puppies and we purchase chips "together" in bulk to get the discounts. Then we "share" the chips and the insertion of the chips. Sincerely, Patti Conroy SOVEREIGN [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
