ID Options for your dog - Tags Vs. Microchip Vs. Tattoo ~ what are your thoughts?

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I was doing some reasearch on tattooing because my vet just told me that she see's that it is coming back around as a method of ID.  She said she has had many patients feel uncomfortable about microchipping and putting a foreign object in their dogs body because the length of research isn't very long. She said that she is now educating people on both options and not just offereing microchipping because it is the current trend. 

 

I found the articles below online and thought it was a very interesting comparison to microchipping, tattooing and ID tags alone.  What are your thoughts and why?   

 

56% of dogs and 71% of cats that enter animal shelters are euthanized. More cats are euthanized than dogs because they are more likely to enter a shelter without any owner identification.

• Only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats that enter animal shelters are reunited with their owners.

Options to consider ~  Microchip Vs. Tattooing Vs. ID Tags

 

Doggie ID - Tags, Tattoos, and Microchips

Collars and Tags

Every dog should have a collar and tags. It is the simplest, easiest way to identify your dog.

 

A buckled collar is preferable to a choke chain for identification purposes, since dogs are more likely to slip out of a choke collar. The collar should be fastened securely so that it will not come off if grabbed. Dr. Duane Schnittker of the Brentwood Veterinary Hospital in Brentwood, California, offers this reminder: "Make sure the tags have current information. Usually, dogs are found within 3 or 4 blocks of their homes."

Types of tags

There are three kinds of tags: rabies tags, dog-license tags, and personal-identification tags.

A rabies tag has a number, the year in which the shot was given, and the name and address of the veterinary office where the shot was administered. It is important to keep track of the year the shot was given because tag numbers are reused each year.

Dog-license tags tell where the dog was licensed and feature a license number. The license number can be reported to animal control in the county and state where the license was issued to obtain the owner's name, address, and phone number.

Personal-identification tags usually have the address of the owner on the tag. These are often available in cute shapes, like dog bones, fire hydrants, and so on. Sometimes a tag will have a kennel-license number and an individual dog-identification number. If you find a dog with a kennel tag, contact the appropriate county to find out which kennel was issued that license number.

Disadvantages of tags

They are easily removed by unscrupulous people, like thieves, who can easily throw collar and tags away.

The printing on tags may wear off over time.

If the collar is not secure, the dog may slip out of it.

Tattoos

Tattooing is a permanent means of identification. Your dog would be tattooed with a series of numbers (for example, some people use their Social Security number) or letters and numbers. Your contact information is registered with an organization such as the National Dog Registry, ID Pet, or the American Kennel Club (which registers tattoos of purebreds only).

Dogs are tattooed with similar tools to those used for humans, and the procedure appears to be relatively painless, though the noise may upset some dogs. The insoluble dyes in tattoo inks or pastes will not react with blood or tissues. On light-skinned animals, black ink is preferred; green ink is better for darker-skinned dogs.

The comparatively hairless inside of the earflap and inside of the hind legs or belly are the most common places to tattoo a dog. Some owners avoid ear tattoos if their dog's ears will be clipped later, and others are concerned that thieves may cut off the tattooed ear so they can sell the dog to a research facility. (Research facilities are not permitted to accept tattooed dogs.)

If you want to have your dog tattooed, consult your vet, breeder, or local humane society to find out more about the various registries and the tattoo they suggest. Each registry has pros and cons, and fees vary. In addition, animal hospitals generally maintain records of dogs they have tattooed.

If practical, keep the tattooed area shaved for maximum visibility.

Disadvantages of tattoos:

A tattoo can be hard to see or find; the individual who finds a lost pet has to be aware of tattooing and look for the tattoo.

A canny crook can alter a tattoo.

When you move, you must remember to update your contact information with the registry.

Tattoos are not completely reliable as the only method of identification; they're best when combined with collars and tags and/or microchipping.

Microchips

The high-tech solution to dog identification is a computer microchip. About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip contains a coded number and is encased in a biologically inert substance so it can remain under the dog's skin for his lifetime. A microchip cannot be lost, changed, or removed.

A microchip is usually implanted in the loose skin between a dog's shoulders. Occasionally, microchips migrate; for this reason, some owners tattoo their dogs with a capital "T" within a circle to indicate that the dog has been microchipped. Then, even if the microchip migrates and is not instantly detectable, the shelter will continue to search for the implant.

Microchips should be implanted by licensed veterinarians. The procedure appears to be virtually painless—comparable to being vaccinated—and puppies as young as 8 weeks can be implanted. No maintenance is needed, and the microchip should last for 25 years.

Ask your vet, breeder, or local humane society to recommend a microchip registry. Like tattoo registries, each microchip registry has its own coding system, and the fees vary.

Veterinarians and shelters use hand-held scanners to detect the microchip and read the code. Then the appropriate registry is contacted and the owner notified. Though several companies produce the microchips, universal scanners can read all microchips.

Disadvantages of microchipping:

The person who finds the dog may not know about microchips or where to take a dog to be scanned. (You should take a lost dog to a veterinarian or a shelter to be scanned.)

When you move, you must remember to update your contact information with the registry.

Because it is hidden, a microchip is not the most effective ID method if used alone. Use in conjunction with collars and tags and/or tattooing to provide the most comprehensive protection.

 

Article that shows the possible risks of microchips and to consider doing microchipping and tattoo.....

Microchipping Pets: Cancer Risk?

Monday, 24 September 2007

The chips are detected by hand-held scanners, which are becoming increasingly available at veterinary offices and animal shelters.     Many breeders now routinely chip their puppies before they go to their new homes, so they can always be traced back to them in case of theft, loss or abandonment.   Until now, the biggest concern over microchipping was migration, or chips inadvertently traveling from the site of injection, to elsewhere in the body, therefore making them harder to find and scan.   But then came news reports earlier this month that pointed to studies of lab mice and rats that had developed malignant tumors near or around the implanted chips.   Published in veterinary and toxicology journals, the findings are at least a reason for pause: A 1998 study of 177 mice reported an incidence of cancer of just over 10 percent. A French study in 2006 noted tumors in 4.1 percent of 1,260 microchipped mice. And a German study in 1997 linked cancer to microchips in 1 percent of 4,279 mice.   None of the studies had control groups of nonchipped mice, which means that there were no "normal" cancer rates to use as a comparison.   Many veterinary oncologists are on the fence about the cancer-chip connection: Although there have been no discernible increases of neck sarcomas in microchipped dogs, there are also no long-term studies of the effect of implantation.   No one disputes the importance of having a permanent identification on a companion animal: Collars and tags can and do get damaged, and a "nude" dog or cat is basically unidentifiable.  Try A Tattoo - or at least consider the alternative or in addition to the microchip.... With dogs, at least, tattooing is one alternative. The process is simple enough: The dog is placed on its side, usually with owners or helpers holding the feet and head. After the tattoo area -- ideally, the inner thigh -- is shaved, disinfected and coated with Vaseline, the tattoo number is applied. "What I like about it is it's absolutely permanent," says Michel Berner of Fairchild, Wisc., who is a certified tattooist with Tattoo-A-Pet International, one of several tattoo registries. "It is indisputable proof that you own the dog, just like microchipping. And I've never seen any adverse effects, like an infection or reaction."   Berner says it takes about 10 minutes to tattoo a 10-digit AKC number on the average dog, no anesthesia required. While some people use their phone number as an ID, that's not advisable, as it can change. Tattoo registries are also an option, though there is no one central database. In coated or hairy breeds, thigh tattoos aren't very practical, unless the area is shaved constantly. As an alternative, the inner ear can be tattooed, which is routinely done with racing greyhounds. Berner admits there's not much of a call for animal tattooers. She knows of only three or four in her state, and, other than her own litters (she breeds Vizslas), she tattoos only about 20 dogs a year. Most compete in dog shows or field trials, where the tattooing tradition is still relatively strong. And while you can request a microchip at your vet's office, tattooing is something you need to seek out aggressively. (Berner recommends contacting a tattoo registry such as www.tattoo-a-pet.com or www.nationaldogregistry.com to get the name of a tattooist near you.) If tattooing is impractical for you or your dog, should you not microchip? While the medical jury is still out, the pragmatists point to the importance of having a mechanism to help return a lost animal to its owner.   "You can treat most cancers," wrote a dog enthusiast in a recent online debate about microchipping. "You can't treat a no-kill shelter's last-day policy. Microchipping has become a standard for pet-safely and identification, but is there a cancer risk? The rice-grain-sized implants, usually inserted in the neck-shoulder area, transmit a unique ID number, which can then be traced to the owner's contact information.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Thanks for all of the great info. I really think you can't be too safe. Darwin is microchipped, and always wears his collar and tags out of the home. Now I'm thinking a tattoo might also be a good idea... the thought of the microchip migrating and them not finding it is scary. Only poblem, he isn't really hairless anywhere. I shave his belly/sanitary area but the hair grows back pretty quickly there. I'm too paranoid to consider the ear now... yikes.

[Kyoko]

Charlie also is microchipped and wears tag. I am wondering while tattoo sounds like a good idea, wouldn't that hurt? I have 2 tattoos and yes, they did hurt and I had to be still.....Can the dogs do that? and not to scrach and keep the area super clean? I think it will be difficult......

[Jennifer and Jack]

Me being the OCD person I am about my dog have seriously thought of having Jacks microchip removed out of fear of it causing cancer. I have decided for now that the chances of him getting lost are greater then the chances of him getting cancer, however, it is still a thought I have in my mind often.

I swear I know why God didn't allow me to have children, though I am trained in trauma and emergency nursing and can handle limbs falling off people and serious trauma, if my baby gets a tick I start to cry and as God as my witness, I took jack to the emergency clinic for a tick once in the middle of the night...so if that gives you an idea of how OCD I am about Jack.. now you know why I travail over every decision I make with him.

 

As far as the tattoo goes, I would not get that for Jack, I would worry the ink would cause cancer and I don't want to put him through pain because of my OCD paranoid behavior. He has three ID tags on him and he is micro-chipped. The rest I am leaving in God's hands

[Jennifer Tramell]

My dogs have dangling tags because they are easy to see BUT they can be lost; slide-on collar tags which are evident if someone catches my dog by the collar and are much harder to lose.  The slide-on tag says "micro-chipped".  My dogs are also microchipped in case they end up at a shelter or a good samaratan takes them to a vet to check for a chip. 

I am not concerned AT ALL about microchips. 

For me it is a matter of statistics:

55% of dogs in shelters are euthanized - let's assume that these are dogs without identification

1 - 10% of microchipped mice can get cancer

hmmm......no brainer for me :-)

My only thought on tattoos is that most people would not know to look for a tattoo, therefore, it might not do any good. 

[Camilla and Darwin]

hey, great idea to have "microchipped" on the tag.