Spring 2016  Saber Tails 9    

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

do it themselves, but check 

with local state laws…some 

require that this procedure be 

done by a vet).

#3 - Microchips move after 

insertion.  This has happened 

to me one time.  My girl Cricket 

was microchipped at 8 weeks 

old and the chip has migrated 

to what would be her right 

underarm or ‘arm pit’.  Since 

that happened, I wait to have 

microchips placed until the 

pup is closer to 4 months old.  My vet explained that 

the microchip can migrate when placed in a very young 

puppy that is covered in loose skin at the time of place-

ment.

#4 - People who find lost dogs don’t always check for 

a microchip.  That’s correct and completely out of your 

control.  But, you can hope that someone who finds your 

dog will check for a chip.  Certainly if a vet knows the dog 

was found as a stray, they will check and local animals 

shelters will as well.  

I

n the case of a natural disaster such as the tornadoes in 

North Texas, there are numerous reports of people get-

ting the wrong dogs out of shelters.  So much informa-

tion is being given online to help people identify where 

their lost dogs might be, others are coming in claiming 

to be the owner and are taking dogs that don’t belong to 

them.  A microchip will also help you prove ownership.

T

here are two important things to remember when 

you make the decision to microchip your dog.  

F

irst, make sure your vet uses a universal chip.  There 

are a lot of different microchip manufacturers and 

today most of them conform to universal standards, but 

it is worth your while to double check.  A universal chip 

can be read by a universal reader anywhere in the world.  

There may still be some off-brands floating around that 

can only be read by a reader keyed to a company-specific 

chip.  This wouldn’t do you much good.  If you obtain a 

puppy from overseas that has already been chipped, ask 

your vet to double-check to ensure the chip can be wan-

ded and the information can be read successfully. 

S

econd, register the chip!!!  Several dogs found in the 

Dallas area are noted to have a chip with no registered 

information.  If you are going place the chip, don’t forget 

to register it!  Registration fees are usually included with 

the cost of the chip (typically a total of $30-$40 US one-

time fee) but not always...and registration can usually be 

done online or by mail.  There are also services such as 

HomeAgain where you can pay an annual fee and reg-

ister any microchip information for all your dogs.  After 

you register with the manufacturer, don’t forget to keep 

your information updated when you move or transfer the 

dog to someone else.  And you can store your microchip 

information on any dog 

registered with the AKC by 

creating a MyAKC account.  

If you obtain a dog chipped 

by a previous owner, have 

that chip transferred to 

your information to ensure 

a speedy reunion should 

you have the misfortune of 

losing your dog.

I 

am admittedly not a vet-

erinarian or expert on mi-

crochips, just a concerned 

dog owner/breeder who 

has seen too many of these 

sad situations following natural disasters.  No one thinks 

this can happen to them...until it does.  All our puppies are 

sold with a contract requiring new owners to microchip 

their dogs.  Hopefully they all have been!  Microchipping 

your dog is no guarantee that your lost dog will be found 

and returned to you.  But it certainly gives you MUCH bet-

ter odds than if the dog isn’t chipped at all!

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