# WTH? Microchip feels like its basically in his armpit now??



## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Until maybe a week or so ago Bryco's microchip was very noticeably right between his shoulderblades. I was feeling around tonight and like, I am pretty sure it has moved to behind his armpit...wth?

Does this mean it's not gonna work or eventually fall out? How on earth did it move that much? Its been in him since 12 weeks.


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

hmmm i rember when dex was a pup he too had a microchip by his neck/shoulder area...not sure where one earth it is now....lol hope u get ur answer!


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

In all the years I've worked for my dad, I've never seen a microchip quit working because it migrated. Generally you will get some 'tissue' buildup around the microchip that holds it in place, but not always. I have only seen 1 microchip come out and that was my immune affected siamese cat Munchie, about a year after he was implanted with one he developed an abscess at the site of injection and his microchip popped out.....his body rejected it lol. He's also had both knees surgically repaired (luxating patellas) which is rare in cats, he's inbred and came from a kitten mill. Anyways he's the only animal I've ever seen have that type of problem with them.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I was shocked to not feel it where it always is, I feel for them weekly, so it's moved over 2" in about a week...will be interesting to see where it goes, LOL.


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

I just don't know about this microchip business.
None of my dogs have one.. and honestly this is really ok by me.
I hope if it moves back, or stays put the movement is not of consequence.

I don't have anything great to contribute but I didn't want to read and not post.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Brody's is encapsulated right between his shoulder blades. I know there's a possibility of migration, but the new chips are supposed to have microscopic little grippers that are supposed to irritate the tissue so that it encapsulates the chip and keeps it where it was implanted. It won't hurt anything for it to be down in his armpit but there's the possibility that the chip wouldn't show up if he was scanned quickly right over his back.  For ID purposes it would serve its purpose. I'd be a little miffed if that happened to Brody's.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I would talk to the Vet that put it in and ask his opinion.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

The vet that put it in is...errr...a little incompetent. I will ask about it, but frankly, I think I will need to have him rechipped now, as well as tattooed. If I ever want to get him registered with the chihuahua health database, he has to have an appropriately positioned permanent ID. It moved this far in a week, as I feel for them weekly. God only knows where it's gonna end up lol. I won't get the old one removed unless it irritates him, (eg actually ends up in his armpit...ouch!), but it needs to be where it should be. I will also get it done by someone else and research chip types to be certain I find one least likely to move. Booo this stinks.


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## Reese and Miley (Jun 24, 2010)

Id just ask your new vet about it, as I know you were trying to sever ties with the previous one. Maybe have them wand him with the scanner too to see if it registers. Thats very weird.


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

I, like Kitty, don't feel to good about putting a foreign object in bodies. How much does it cost to microchip an animal?


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## KittyD (Apr 2, 2010)

woodard2009 said:


> I, like Kitty, don't feel to good about putting a foreign object in bodies. How much does it cost to microchip an animal?


:lol: I just feel old school, I remember a time when microchips in dogs didn't exist.. ha ha "back in the old days.. we just had dog tags :lol: "


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

KittyD said:


> :lol: I just feel old school, I remember a time when microchips in dogs didn't exist.. ha ha "back in the old days.. we just had dog tags :lol: "


Sometimes I feel like we all try too hard to live right & do the right things but in essence we are making ourselves sick or hurting ourselves. I hope this makes sense & I by no means hopes this offends anyone. I guess I'm old school to or I try to be. When they come out with a new drug or a new product, I don't jump up & buy it. I wait & see how well this product does (let everyone else be the guinea pig)(sounds cruel). I would love to chip my Midgie in case something ever happened to her, but when I weigh the odds of something happening to her & the risk of implanting a foreign object in her body, I would rather do without. I'm not against chipping & I think it's a wonderful tool for most, just not for me.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Microchips have a very high success rate at uniting dog & owner. At shows, dogs do not wear tags. So what happens if the dog somehow gets loose? They aren't secured the way a dog traditionally is, they are on a tiny little lead. In the case of Bryco, he *needs* to have one.

My others are chipped because I read enough about it that I felt comfortable with it, and I also know that the chance that my dog has its collar on if it gets lost are hopefully good but realistically, they don't wear their collars inside, and what if they get out?

I also think it's a good way to prove a dog is yours if its ever stolen. Someone can't just change the information on a Microchip, so if there is ever question of ownership, it proves the dog is yours. 

They aren't for everyone but I do think they are effective and beneficial most of the time, its odd B's has moved...very very abnormal, but it definitely has.


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## AC/DC Fan (Sep 15, 2010)

I'm sure microchips are perfectly fine but my kids don't have them. They wear their collars with tags (with two phone numbers on them) 24/7, inside and outside, night and day. 
We're hypervigilant about knowing where they are at all times and periodically check the back yard to make sure there is no place they can get out. Having said that, a couple weeks ago we moved furniture in thru the back door and I later found the gate open. Thank God nothing wandered in and no one wandered out!


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

We have a client who lost a golden retriever, she had collar/tags on etc, and she looked high and low, put signs up on every telephone pole in 5 different surrounding cities, went to the dog pound every day, searched every day for about 6 months. Almost 4 years later animal control called to verify the owner information on a dog we had microchipped, it literally gave me chills when it was "Shellie" (that's who my golden is named after) that they had. I told them whomever had the dog was not the owner, as that dog went missing on such & such a date. Shellie was reunited with her owner almost 4 years later due to a microchip. If she wasn't microchipped she never would have been reunited, as animal control watched her get out of the yard she was in, so they 'knew' who she belonged to but have to verify microchips. Shellie still remembered her owner and was in horrid shape when she got her back, she was filthy, obese, had doggie lice and was just a mess. My sisters standard poodle lost her license tag and name tag when she was lost. She's microchipped too, but the rabies tag got her back to us.


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

A microchip is also how we 'prevented' someone from trying to 'steal' Georgie my pomeranian after I adopted him, we hadn't removed him from Petfinder yet (I work for a vet and we do adoptions), and this lady swore up and down he was "HER" dog, but because he was microchipped and traceable back to his original owner, this lady was nuts, and couldn't 'prove' without a shadow of a doubt that he was her dog. We think she was looking to get a free dog.


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## AC/DC Fan (Sep 15, 2010)

cprcheetah said:


> A microchip is also how we 'prevented' someone from trying to 'steal' Georgie my pomeranian after I adopted him, we hadn't removed him from Petfinder yet (I work for a vet and we do adoptions), and this lady swore up and down he was "HER" dog, but because he was microchipped and traceable back to his original owner, this lady was nuts, and couldn't 'prove' without a shadow of a doubt that he was her dog. We think she was looking to get a free dog.


Sounds like it.


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## cherper (May 8, 2009)

Interesting, this makes me think more seriously about microchipping. It was not something i was interested in doing really. This is an eye opener though. Thanks cprcheetah!


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