Microchipping

[WelshOneEmma]

Does anyone here have their chams microchipped? Has it caused any problems with mobility? We are debating having Hugo microchipped (he would be put under for this) and our vet has said that the microchip goes in the hind left leg, and they use a small stitch (or glue) to close the wound. As he will be under anyway for an x-ray to check his bones, we thought this might be an ideal time. What are the general thoughts on this, and the effects (if any) there are to the cham?

 

[summoner12]

um... don't know anyone who has done this. isit a GPS chip? If it is only a ID chip...

Personally i don't think it is really needed.

do they knock the chams out for an x-ray? if so i didn't know that.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

um... don't know anyone who has done this. isit a GPS chip? If it is only a ID chip...

Personally i don't think it is really needed.

do they knock the chams out for an x-ray? if so i didn't know that.

It would be an ID chip. People in this country will nick anything these days, so all my cats are microchipped (didn't think the rats needed it!). As a lot of the bigger reptiles and tortoises seemed to be microchiped as standard, i thought it could be an option, and he is getting to the minimum size he needs to be for it. My vets put the chams out for their x-rays so there isn't any movement etc. Not sure if that's standard? When Draig was ill and they x-rayed her she was put out (which is why it cost £150 to determine it was a girl!!). Is it more stressful to try to xray them awake or put them under? Or is it 6 of one, half a dozen of the other?

 

[summoner12]

I am unsure with the X-ray. I have never had to X-Ray any of my chams. When I was thinking about doing it with two of my adult melleri it was not implicated. I am sure some others can chime in later on.

 

[Miss Lily]

That's interesting Emma. I hadn't even considered getting Lily microchipped. I know that the needle they use is quite thick - my kitten freaked out at her first vaccinations so they microchipped her while she was under anaesthetic for her neutering.

I'm curious as to why you feel that Hugo needs an Xray? I would have thought it way too stressful unless you are concerned that something is wrong with him. Although I think I would worry too after what you went through with Draig.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

That's interesting Emma. I hadn't even considered getting Lily microchipped. I know that the needle they use is quite thick - my kitten freaked out at her first vaccinations so they microchipped her while she was under anaesthetic for her neutering.

I'm curious as to why you feel that Hugo needs an Xray? I would have thought it way too stressful unless you are concerned that something is wrong with him. Although I think I would worry too after what you went through with Draig.

Yeah, one of our cats is being neutered today and being microchipped at the same time. Whilst i think Hugo is healthy, until he has an x-ray we don't know how healthy his bones are, and it was something mentioned by the vet that can be done to check his health. Draig had an x-ray and her bones weren't terrible (not great either mind), so i guess i want to be pre-emptive when it comes to his health. I dont want MBD to start showing up with bendy legs as the damage is already done. I mean, i think he's healthy. Although his appetite has really decreased lately, and some days he is constantly patrolling the cage, whilst others he just sits on a branch and watches the world go by.

 

[Miss Lily]

I'm glad that he's ok! Keep us posted on your decision and the outcome of the Xrays if you go ahead.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Bump!

Do any of the senior members have any input on microchipping?

 

[desultadox]

I didn't even know such a thing was practiced. The vet and groomer never even scan my sister's dog, making the chip useless. I'm not real keen on euro idioms, but if you're suggesting the possibility that your chameleon gets stolen, how long do you think it would last under the "care" of a thief? I'd guess not as long as it would take for you to find it. It is a big needle and chameleons are pretty small animals. I don't know that I'd want to prick such a fragile little thing.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

I'm not real keen on euro idioms, but if you're suggesting the possibility that your chameleon gets stolen, how long do you think it would last under the "care" of a thief? QUOTE]

it's not a 'Euro idiom' (and i hope that is not meant in the way i read it). It's a genuine query, as animals that are seen as valuable are often microchipped. Not that i would let him outside, but what if he escaped and was picked up and taken to a vets? It is me trying to make sure that i am doing all i can for my pet and asking a genuine question. They have to be a specific size before the vets will do this, and they will also have to be put under to have it done.

 

[desultadox]

"An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use."

It's not a bad word. You just said "People in this country will nick anything these days..." and I've never heard that expression before, so I wasn't sure what it meant.

Again I have no experience with microchipping any reptile, but it just doesn't seem worth it. You can find many threads on this forum where people lose a chameleon and spend weeks looking for it and sometimes come up empty-handed. So the chances of somebody finding a chameleon they are NOT actively searching for seem rather slim. If it's not going to hurt the animal in any way and you're more than willing to pay for it, then I guess there is no downside. It's like an insurance policy you hope you never use, but you'll be glad you bought it if you do need it.

 

[honeywoods]

Hey Emma

How much will the micro-chipping cost?

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Hey Emma

How much will the micro-chipping cost?

I don't know. It cost me £16 to get the cat done yesterday, and that obviously covers the cost of the chip and the registering of the animal etc. As he would be put under for it, we were going to wait (if we got it done) for when he has a check up and x-rays, as he would be put under for an x-ray (the x-ray would be to check his bones, so if they aren't showing up well we can tackle it before MBD sets in). When i had my last cham x-rayed, it cost about £75, so i figure we would be looking at about £100 in total for it, if we did go for it.

I just wanted to see if people had had it done and it caused any problems with mobility?

 

[WelshOneEmma]

"An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be determined by the literal definition of the phrase itself, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through common use."

It's not a bad word. You just said "People in this country will nick anything these days..." and I've never heard that expression before, so I wasn't sure what it meant.

Ok, sorry. So used to getting told we do everything wrong over here i guess i am a little sensitive!

Me saying 'nick' is the common-ness coming out! Essentially people in this country will steal anything and everything (my boss had his car broken into and they stole the lager out of the boot, and that was it!).

 

[Docility]

honestly micro chipping is useless for anything besides dogs (cats are arguable) This feature used to be included in all of out crap at work, but then after someone brought to the attention well hey these things are only useful if it actually get taken to somewhere that scans them we now only do the dogs. dogs get out, and the animal control here has a large amount of pickups, but if your chameleon escaped i doubt animal control would find it lol. let alone pick it up if it puffed up at them. Thats my view on it, and let me say we have yet to actually have a dog found by means of a scanned chip. until GPS gets that small its a rather frivolous charge

 

[WelshOneEmma]

honestly micro chipping is useless for anything besides dogs (cats are arguable) This feature used to be included in all of out crap at work, but then after someone brought to the attention well hey these things are only useful if it actually get taken to somewhere that scans them we now only do the dogs. dogs get out, and the animal control here has a large amount of pickups, but if your chameleon escaped i doubt animal control would find it lol. let alone pick it up if it puffed up at them. Thats my view on it, and let me say we have yet to actually have a dog found by means of a scanned chip. until GPS gets that small its a rather frivolous charge

That's funny becuase I know quite a few people who have had animals, both dogs and cats, found due to their microchips. I don't know what's it's like in the US, but it is standard to scan all animals picked up to see if they are micro-chipped, and an obvious non-native animal such as a chameleon would be assumed to be a pet and therefore scanned. I want to know if people have seen any damage caused by them, not if you think microchipping is useless for all animals.