# Lawsuit against Merck and HomeAgain over pet chip cancer



## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

This is very interesting & scary! But just wanted to make everyone aware of this. My own cat Munchie had an adverse reaction to his microchip, his body rejected it about a year after implantation, it abscessed, festered and popped out of a hole. The company gave us a 'free' microchip to re-implant but to date, I haven't chipped him again, I don't want him to have to go through that again. It's a tough one, as I know a dog who was reunited with it's owner almost 4 years after she went missing because of a microchip...basically a case where Animal Control saw the dog get out of a yard, impounded it, and was confirming the owners information, and it was not the people who had the dog. I work for the vet who chipped the dog and when her name "Shellie" came up as the chip owner (yes that's who my golden is named after), I got chills down my spine as I knew that she had been missing for a long long time.....so this will be a very tough decision. In the 20+ years I've worked for a vet Munchie has been the only cat/animal I've seen a problem with.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2010

MERCK SUED: HomeAgain® PET CHIP IMPLICATED IN CANCER
New website, ChipMeNot.com, features details on cancer case and other
adverse reactions

Online at: Merck Sued: HomeAgain® Pet Chip Implicated in Cancer
and chipmenot.com.

Nashua, NH -- Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. has been served with a
lawsuit over claims its HomeAgain® pet microchip induced cancer in a
cat. Animal rights attorney Steven Wise seeks "reasonable compensatory
damages" for a malignant tumor "likely" induced by a HomeAgain® ID chip
implanted in his client's cat, Bulkin.

The complaint, "Andrea Rutherford v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and
Digital Angel, Inc." (case # 1052CV1147) was filed last week in
Cambridge (MA) District Court. The complaint named implant maker Digital
Angel Corporation as a co-defendant.

"Based on the alarming number of microchip-linked cancers we're
discovering, I predict this lawsuit will be just the tip of the
iceberg," said Dr. Katherine Albrecht, a consumer advocate and expert on
adverse reactions associated with implantable microchips.

Bulkin's case is featured at chipmenot.com, a new website launched
by Albrecht's consumer group CASPIAN to bring attention to the plight of
animals who have developed cancer and other adverse reactions from ID
microchips. Albrecht documents several of these cases in
"Microchip-Induced Tumors in Laboratory Rodents and Dogs: A Review of
the Literature 1990–2006," a peer-reviewed academic paper she presented
at a June conference of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers devoted to concerns about implantable microchips.

Albrecht's paper and a copy of the complaint are also posted
at chipmenot.com. The site, co-developed with graduate intern Lidiya
Prorochuk, spotlights a growing number of adverse reactions to
microchips, including the chip-related cancer deaths of two dogs within
the past year. The site also features a form where pet owners can report
adverse microchip reactions, since there is currently no official
registry in the US to collect such data.

"Merck and organizations that advocate pet chipping should take this
lawsuit seriously and start warning pet owners of the risk of
microchip-induced cancer," Albrecht advised. "As Andrea Rutherford and
other pet owners can tell you, it's not a statistic when it's your pet."


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

I suppose it's a choice we all have to make. Personally mine will always be chipped I just don't trust people if my girls get loose some how which they wouldn't!! 

I assume the risks are low if they are not seen often altho I do know there was an article here where an owner took her dog abroad and obv chipped etc then when she was coming home they scanned te dog and the chip no longer worked so the dog was left in quarantine in a foreign country for 6 months til they let it come back into the uk... Think I'll get my vet to scan mine everytime I go lol

The articles very interesting especially as its only likely it was causes by the chip


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

OMG thats the microchip company
I was going with if I had Dahlia chipped
at the time of her spay! Now Im glad I
didnt have it done!! :O


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

I know tough choice, as of date most of my animals are chipped, I have 2 cats and 1 dog who aren't right now but I will probably chip them as it scares me not to. I know some of the cases on that chipmenot site the microchip was actually inside the tumors that were removed.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Oh that's just pants really!! Makes you wonder but I'm seeing it like the percentage is tiny and that is better than my constant paranoia


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

We don't chip. We live in a very small/quiet town & everyone knows who the crazy Chi lady is around here. :roll: That is very scary though yet it doesn't suprise me in the least bit. I know the chip has reunited many MANY animals which is wonderful...but it's just another one of those "just in case" things that could possibly harm your pet. For me the decision was easy. But had I lived in a busy neiborhood or a place where Chi's were that valuable...I can't say my decision would be as easy or even the same as what it was when I decided not to chip my Chi's.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

I would love to have my chi chipped but she's with me 24/7 & I think doing too much to keep our little guys safe is sometimes more harmful than the risks. I am not against anyone that chips their pet because it's such a controversial subject & I always love happy endings when a chipped animal is reunited with its owner. Very interesting report that answers many of the concerns I've always had for chipping an animal.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Scary. And that is the chip that Brody has. No adverse reactions yet and he's had it a year and a half. It hasn't migrated either. I can feel it under his skin. UGH.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Ziva was microchipped before we got her, she has a homeagain but we are going to have to remove it when she's spayed, the idiots either injected it into her armpit or it migrated there, every time I pick her up she screams if I hit it just right so I know it's causing her pain. :-(


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## 17428 (Jul 10, 2009)

> i know some of the cases on that chipmenot site the microchip was actually inside the tumors that were removed.


ooooo*mmmm*gggggg!!!!!!!


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

Oh wow. Lo has this chip... She had it implanted during her spay almost 5 years ago, and I can't feel it anymore, but she's a little pudgy too at the moment... I'm going to take her with me next time we visit the vet to make sure it still scans... 

Cheetah, I assume it's necessary for the dog to be under anesthesia for a removal, which is why you're doing Ziva's during her spay, correct? I'm lost as to leave it since we haven't seen any problems arise in 5years, but I don't want to take the chance of it turning into something later!


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I think chips are great. But honestly after Bryco's has moved, I'm sort of skeptical. All mine have ones from Petlink/ResQ chips. I'm so mad his migrated though, its basically under his arm now. And he's always itched at where it was, like it bothered him. It stinks because in order for his health testing as a show pup/potential breeder, he needs to have permanent ID. We most likely are getting him tattooed as well, although I am still researching that process. For my other 3 dogs, 0 problems whatsoever. TBH I think they screwed up on Bryco's chip, it was never as far under the skin as my other 3.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

I suddenly feel sick...


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

My dad and I were talking about this yesterday as I mentioned how Lily had a soft tissue sarcoma and the Dr mentioned possible Vaccine sarcoma, in his 40 years he's never seen one, he said he thinks it has to do with the technique maybe some people get too deep and it goes between the skin tissue cells when vaccinating. He said that he's seen a lot of Homeagain microchips migrate, he doesn't think they have very good 'gripper's on their chips. I know a lot of rescue people who get really worried about chipping as there are cases where you can paralyze them if you go too deep & hit the spine (had a rescue due that way back when), so they just barely put them under the skin which isn't deep enough for them to get a 'good' hold on it. 

Yes the microchip will have to be removed under anesthesia, if I wasn't having her spayed we'd just do it, but I don't want to have her put out twice if I can avoid it, but the skin/tissue around the microchip will have to be cut out :-( to get it out. Although he thinks as loose as it feels it might just be barely under the skin but we'll find out.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

leila's is a home again too. I don't feel it at all, she is not super skinny though and has a pretty thick coat on her back. I haven't really been like gripping skin though to feel it. eek!


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

cprcheetah said:


> Yes the microchip will have to be removed under anesthesia, if I wasn't having her spayed we'd just do it, but I don't want to have her put out twice if I can avoid it, but the skin/tissue around the microchip will have to be cut out :-( to get it out. Although he thinks as loose as it feels it might just be barely under the skin but we'll find out.


So if you weren't having her spayed, you would still have her's removed? Obviously I need to have Lo seen to figure out where her's is to see if there is anything abnormal before going that route, but I feel like I would know if there was a lump forming around it, no matter where the chip ended up. 

Tracy, what is your plan with Brody? Are you going to let it stay unless something arises? 

Honestly, I'm kinda freaking out here... Hubby too...


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

LovesMyPups said:


> So if you weren't having her spayed, you would still have her's removed? Obviously I need to have Lo seen to figure out where her's is to see if there is anything abnormal before going that route, but I feel like I would know if there was a lump forming around it, no matter where the chip ended up.
> 
> Tracy, what is your plan with Brody? Are you going to let it stay unless something arises?
> 
> Honestly, I'm kinda freaking out here... Hubby too...


The reason why I am having hers removed is because it is loose and digging into her armpit area every time I pick her up causing her pain. If this wasn't the case I would let it stay. As I said, I have worked for a vet for 20+ years and we've microchipped thousands of dogs/cats/ferrets etc, Munchie my 3 year old cat is the 1st cat/dog I've ever seen personally with a problem from it. I would not panic but keep an eye on the chips, I have 5 cats, 3 are chipped, 1 with homeagain, all of my dogs are microchipped. Unless it's causing a problem I think removing it is more invasive than letting them stay. The incidence of problems is rare considering how many millions of pets are & have been microchipped. Especially considering how many dogs/cats have been reunited with their owners due to a microchip.


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

Alright, that makes me feel a little better. I just feel like I'm in a moral dilemma... Put her through surgery to take it out and risk all of those side effects/ the procedure itself, or sit on my butt and watch to see if she gets cancer from it... Loose/loose situation it feels like. 
I suppose, like you said, the incident rate is extremely low as of now, so part of me is feeling like the risks of something developing are less than the risks of something happening to her for removal. 
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

argh, now i'm regretting my decision to get her chipped.


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

cherper said:


> argh, now i'm regretting my decision to get her chipped.


If I were you, I would make a daily (okay, maybe every other day. I'm just being crazy right now ) habit of locating the chip and making sure it feels "normal", whatever normal is for her. Early detection is going to be the key in our cases, and you're much better off at least knowing where her's is. haha.


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## Mom of 4 Chi's (Apr 3, 2009)

Very interesting. 
All four of my dogs are chipped with Homeagain. No problems so far, and no migration either. Lola has had her chip the longest. About 4 years now. Maxx has had his chip the least amount of time, about 2 years.

It's worrying to know a microchip could be causing cancer in some pets.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

I just can't feel it, i may call the vet and ask where it is?! I thought they always put them between the shoulders?


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## MakNLFi (Jun 8, 2010)

Oh brother! I debated and debated about having Colette chipped and didn't do so when she was spayed, but several months ago the little bugger managed to get out (my daughter had forgotten and left the garage door opened and didn't realize the back garage door was left open as well. Luckily the kid across the street saw her out front and corraled her to the front door where Colette was barking at her like mad (she hates the kids across the street! LOL) and I heard the ruckus and opened the front door. Anyway that scared me and when we were at the recent dog walk they were doing micro-chipping for $25 with free registration so I had Colette chipped there. I will have to check - I don't know if it is HomeAgain or not?  I was debating on not having Chloe chipped because she never leaves the inside of the house unless we let her out into the backyard or she is with us. Heck she won't even go out the doggie door into the backyard - it scares her! But then again it could always be a case of her getting into the backyard and the garage doors accidently being left open or the gardener not closing the gate all the way or something. Well anyway I have almost another month to decide, because I just made her spay appointment just a few hours ago for Nov. 8th.


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## LovesMyPups (Apr 18, 2010)

cherper said:


> I just can't feel it, i may call the vet and ask where it is?! I thought they always put them between the shoulders?


Ya, my understanding is that is always the case. You might have to bring her in and have them locate it, and show you where/how you can feel it. I could feel Lo's when she got hers done, but she only weighed 2lbs. I stopped trying to feel for it cause I was a dumb teenager and didn't know I should track it in case it migrated.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

Here are some recommendations for Pet Owners regarding the microchips from chipmenot.com

Recommendations for Pet Owners

There have been no large-scale, statistically valid, clinically controlled, experimental studies involving microchip implants in dogs and cats, so we know very little about their long-term safety. However, the fact that we have not seen an epidemic of cancers in pets would suggest that only a small number will be impacted. As the chip-removal procedure may be both costly and invasive, pet owners may wish to leave the implanted microchips intact within their animals unless a problem surfaces.

Owners of pets that have been implanted should regularly check the area around the chip for any abnormal lumps or swelling. If something unusual is found, it should be immediately reported to a veterinarian, and tests should be done to rule out cancer. The pet owner may be the key to detecting a problem in the early stages and saving the life of a pet. In the two cases where dogs developed tumors around and attached to implants, it was the owners' astute eye and probing fingers that found the cancers, not the veterinarian. The only indication that there was a problem was the lump; all other laboratory tests came back within normal ranges.

If a pet is not currently microchipped, it may be best to keep it that way. It is the opinion of this researcher that all further implantation of pets should be halted until the existing population of chipped dogs is carefully assessed for adverse reactions, including cancer. There are other ways to ensure a pet is returned to its owner in the event it goes missing. A well-made collar and a clear, legible tag with the owner's contact information are effective tools that have worked for generations of pet owners.


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## Aust Chi Mumma (Sep 15, 2010)

Woah

Thats interesting and scary! I wonder if the vet I go to will chip Fiddle with the same brand (We're In Aust remeber) 

If they do I will ask them for a different one!


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