# microchip reaction resulting in a 20cm hole



## chesney2007 (Jan 2, 2009)

my dog has recently had a major reaction to a tracer /bayer animal health microchip .she developed a lump after having the chip fitted sometime ago. first it felt like a grain of rice in her neck ,it then started growing into a bit bigger than a pea size lump i started trying to make sure it was'nt growing to fast and make sure it was'nt connected to her bone structure the previous vet at winterswan in winterton near s****horpe removed this, but at that point the chip was'nt within it . Maria the new vet has said that she thinks the same as i do that when i kept checking it the chip must of moved, this was in july 2008. Then shortly after that a few months after i noticed another mass in the same area .This time i asked maria to investigate the area ,she later informed me after the surgery that she had to remove a mass, at this point it was size of half a golf ball which the chip was connected to.Prin has since spent the past 6 weeks in swanbridge hospital in hull which the winterswan vets is part of. She has had to have anastetics everyother day to have her dressings changed the 20cm hole in her neck has stared healing up now thankfully, i was told on the 6th jan 09 that the hole was now 6cm by the vet philip who has also been treating her, it has taken this long because it was infected were the chip had damaged the tissue around the mass .she will also have to have her muscles rebuilt as she has sufferd muscle wastage as well because she has had to be laid in a vets for the past 6 weeks.we think we are doing the right thing by having our pets chipped but we dont get told what it can do to them if it goes wrong. it is 1 in a 1000 i have found out this happens to and it also causes cancer in some cases. i want anyone who has had problems to contact me on 07955989853. Had it not been for the vet Maria giving the level of care and treatment she gives to prin and my other dogs we may not of found this out. The company that makes these chips should rectify this before its to late. It is unfair that we have to unknowingly put our pets at risk like this ,the chips are a good idea but they are not as safe as we think as prins chip has proved. please consider the risks before you have your pet chipped there are other means of identification for your pet that are totally harmless.


----------



## jilly40 (Oct 22, 2008)

i am sorry 2 hear of the trouble you n your little furbaby has gone thru my heart goes out 2 you.i have never had a problem so concider myself lucky.but i will still have eva chiped as i feel it is a good way of identification.they all have collers n tags 2.but due 2 your post i will keep a very good eye on the sight.i hope the little 1 gets well soon.do you know when they will be home? xxx


----------



## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

Hello and welcome
I am sorry to hear that your dog has had these problems with the chip - I have actually heard of this happening before - although probably not as bad as your sounds.
Unfortunately as you have said - these procedures carry risks - as do the innoculaions - but i suppose a way of looking at it is that the good they do outweights the bad - not what anyone wants to hear that has suffered this I am sure - Hope you dog makes a full recovery..
regards
DT

Which ID method would you recommend that is safer/harmless


----------



## chesney2007 (Jan 2, 2009)

i am now having a tattoo stamped prinnie,s ear as i am told by my vet that this is safe and as permenant as a chip apart from the fact it is harmless and has no side affects it is slightly more expensive but to me if it identifys her and is safe then its worth itthanks for yor reply. can i ask wherehave you heard of this before i am intresed in all infomation as i am trying to research the chip to build a case to send to bayer who make the chip to rectify the problems is is causing to pets.


----------



## Dundee (Oct 20, 2008)

So sorry to hear you your dog's problems with the microchip. I have heard it can happen but it is very rare - not much consolation to you though.

Tattooing is actually better than microchipping IMO although mine are microchipped. Not only does it identify, but in law, it signifies ownership too.


----------



## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

I considered having my dogs tattoed some years ago but changed my mind _ rdo you know what happens when should the animal be stolen of fall into the wrong hands?


----------



## Dundee (Oct 20, 2008)

> do you know what gipsies do when they steel a tattooed dog?


It is often said that stolen dogs have their ears cut off, but the only ACTUAL cases have in fact been greyhounds that were disposed of by owners (to save vet fees) and did it to avoid detection.

The main difference is that if property (and a dog is property) is permanently marked (in this case a tattoo is a visable mark), then it MUST be returned to the owner. 
There is no legal requirement to scan 'property' and as a microchip is not a visable mark, it does not count under property law. 
Obviously that doesn't mean that a dog won't be scanned, but another thing to bear in mind is that there can be problems with scanners not reading microchips and chips moving and not being pickedup. I'm not sure of the exact details but there is also a 7 day window where a dog in a council home becomes their property to do what they want with if the owner is not found. Because a dog is considered 'property' and by tattooing you are 'marking' that property, the window is increased to 28 days which is the standard time marked property has to be kept


----------



## kathryn773 (Sep 2, 2008)

I will keep a closer watch on Bobby's micro chip site, thank you for enlightening me. 
Is it the manufacturer at 'fault' or the chip going into muscle, rather than just under the skin? 
I really dont like the sound of tattoos, too painful, tho I have no evidence, just gut feeling.


----------



## Guest (Jan 3, 2009)

Dundee said:


> So sorry to hear you your dog's problems with the microchip. I have heard it can happen but it is very rare - not much consolation to you though.
> 
> Tattooing is actually better than microchipping IMO although mine are microchipped. Not only does it identify, but in law, it signifies ownership too.


Iknow the chips do move - know of several people whereby they have been unable to find the chip but I am still dubious regarding the tatooing - but having said that I understand that you can also have the inner leg tattoed - it this correct do you know - as I would feel uch more comfortable having a tatoo there that the ear
regards
DT


----------



## Spudlover (Oct 26, 2008)

OMG, that's horrible! I never knew that microchipping can go so wrong! Spud has a chip as well but thankfully he hasn't had problems with it.
Can problems arise later or once it heals, it heals?
When I was a kid our family dog had her ear tattooed. She never got lost thankfully. Died of cancer , poor thing...


----------



## chesney2007 (Jan 2, 2009)

hi am not sure about the inner leg i have not heard of that one but have the ear, but i will definetly never have any more pets chipped after what i have seen .i have all the stages of prins wound on disc everyother day when she was having her dressings changed for my solicitor to look at before he contacts the chip company regarding getting the chips researched and rectified. i cant forgive myself for what she has bin through just for a chip it is awfull to see and no i have to leave her at the end of visiting which is heart breaking. i now have a pitition in place to send to the company and the goverment officer who deals with this, thanks for your support just think carefully before you get your pets chipped .


----------



## Spudlover (Oct 26, 2008)

Hi Chesney,
Can't send you a private message back as apparently you exceeded your stored private message quota.
Thanks a lot for your answer. I was so sad to hear what happened. I am also a bit worried now as it seems like this can happen any time.
Spud has a Trovan chip - I have no idea whether this is a good one or not. This is what the breeder uses, so he came already chipped.
I wish you luck with all this, please keep us updated!


----------



## Freyja (Jun 28, 2008)

I too have heard that the inner thigh can be tattooed insead of the ear. The only cases of ears been cut of to get rid of the ear tattoo is in racing greyhounds before the are dumped or killed as the owner and trainer can be traced through the tattoo. When I was younger we had a couple of dogs a lab abd a collie x that were ear tattooed. The tattoo on the collie x smudged as the woman did it and couldn't be read properly so she also wore a tag on a collar with her number. Both dogs wore tags saying they were tattooed.

Only 1 of my dogs is chipped I know it is a risk but I have also heard of cases of the chip being cut out on whippet lurcher types as you can feel were it is in thin skinned dogs.


----------



## Antichip1 (Apr 6, 2010)

chesney2007 said:


> my dog has recently had a major reaction to a tracer /bayer animal health microchip .she developed a lump after having the chip fitted sometime ago. first it felt like a grain of rice in her neck ,it then started growing into a bit bigger than a pea size lump i started trying to make sure it was'nt growing to fast and make sure it was'nt connected to her bone structure the previous vet at winterswan in winterton near s****horpe removed this, but at that point the chip was'nt within it . Maria the new vet has said that she thinks the same as i do that when i kept checking it the chip must of moved, this was in july 2008. Then shortly after that a few months after i noticed another mass in the same area .This time i asked maria to investigate the area ,she later informed me after the surgery that she had to remove a mass, at this point it was size of half a golf ball which the chip was connected to.Prin has since spent the past 6 weeks in swanbridge hospital in hull which the winterswan vets is part of. She has had to have anastetics everyother day to have her dressings changed the 20cm hole in her neck has stared healing up now thankfully, i was told on the 6th jan 09 that the hole was now 6cm by the vet philip who has also been treating her, it has taken this long because it was infected were the chip had damaged the tissue around the mass .she will also have to have her muscles rebuilt as she has sufferd muscle wastage as well because she has had to be laid in a vets for the past 6 weeks.we think we are doing the right thing by having our pets chipped but we dont get told what it can do to them if it goes wrong. it is 1 in a 1000 i have found out this happens to and it also causes cancer in some cases. i want anyone who has had problems to contact me on 07955989853. Had it not been for the vet Maria giving the level of care and treatment she gives to prin and my other dogs we may not of found this out. The company that makes these chips should rectify this before its to late. It is unfair that we have to unknowingly put our pets at risk like this ,the chips are a good idea but they are not as safe as we think as prins chip has proved. please consider the risks before you have your pet chipped there are other means of identification for your pet that are totally harmless.


Hi,
I was most interested in your story as regards your dog's bad reaction to a microchip. Does anyone else have similar experiences with dogs or other animals? Or know someone that has? If so, please let me know ASAP. I am currently researching as to whether chips are safe or not. Or whether they simply cause reactions (cancers, general ill-health and tumours) in a limited number of animals. Any replies from vets or vet nurses would be most appreciated. All info will be treated in strictest confidence as required. Please text or ring 0780 436 2946 (mobile) with your email address or telephone number and I will get back to you ASAP. Thank you.


----------



## hawksport (Dec 27, 2009)

Don't know of anything like that but I know a dog whose chip has moved to his elbow.


----------



## alaun (Jul 21, 2009)

My pups has moved around to the front of her shoulder so I'm keeping a close eye on it. I don't about anything else though.


----------



## moboyd (Sep 29, 2009)

all my dogs have been chipped, non have moved to date, the only problem I can think of when a dog is tatooed is, if its a long haired dog, it may not be seen in the ears if they have plenty of ear fur, two if a dog is picked up by dog wardens, many dogs WILL NOT allow you to look underneath them because of the stress of being in a rescue home/other dogs barking in the local etc, so tatooing on inner thigh may result in your dog not being returned to you. and not all rescues look for tatoos in your average dog, they do however tend to look when the dog is a greyhound, maybe having the dog tatooed and wearing a collar stating the dog is tatooed will help, but if the dog loses its collar then we are back to square one.

Mo


----------



## Ridgielover (Apr 16, 2008)

Only one of mine is chipped (he has a Pet Passport) and the chip has already moved, it's on his chest now.


----------



## alaun (Jul 21, 2009)

alaun said:


> My pups has moved around to the front of her shoulder so I'm keeping a close eye on it.





Ridgielover said:


> Only one of mine is chipped (he has a Pet Passport) and the chip has already moved, it's on his chest now.


What concerns me is if my girl ever got lost, would they search all over for a chip, or would they just look on her neck? She has a collar on stating she's chipped but like Mo says, if she loses her collar then would they bother searching for it?


----------



## moboyd (Sep 29, 2009)

If dogs come into our place they run the scanner ALL OVER the dog, meaning round the neck down front shoulders into chest on both sides, down sides and under neath the dog, and into thighs, they do this at least twice.

mo


----------



## alaun (Jul 21, 2009)

moboyd said:


> If dogs come into our place they run the scanner ALL OVER the dog, meaning round the neck down front shoulders into chest on both sides, down sides and under neath the dog, and into thighs, they do this at least twice.
> 
> mo


Oh good that's a relief. Thanks Mo.


----------



## dimkaz (Jul 27, 2009)

bad luck with your dog! so sorry to read such a story!

it is my understanding that there is big difference between a normal chip and a tracer (i believe the tracers emits a signal...) is like having a mobile phone permanently stuck to one's neck..

i don;t know though...will do some more research

best of luck
D


----------



## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

With my dog, there were no health problems with her microchip - instead it just stopped working! I found out when I took her to be measured for agility and they couldn't find her chip with the scanner. Took her to the vet, he couldn't detect it either so had a new one put in. Now I have it checked on each vet visit.


----------



## furballs (Jul 28, 2010)

One of my dogs had a bad reaction to being chipped, he got scabs come up all around the area, we took him to the vets and they said it was probly just a reaction to the chip, and to soak the scabs to stop them from cracking open as the were bad, big and deep, but they had no explanation as to why the scabs werent just over the chip entrance site, but speradically around his whole sholder area, it was quite horrible. Lucky they did eventually stop apearing and heal up.

Two of my dogs are not chipped yet, one of them, his son, has a wooly coat, so i worry about chipping him incase he has a reaction too, and wonder about getting him tattooed as it'll be hard to find a place you'l be able to see it..?!:confused1:


----------



## EmmaRose38 (Nov 7, 2011)

I'm just starting to go through this with my 6 year old jrt Rosie,there's a similar problem with the microchip,it's a microchip from bayer and I have tried to contact them today regarding this for advice,Rosie has been unwilling to eat at times and I thought there was a possible neck problem( she was chipped at 6 months old when spayed),also people have recently said what a stiff little dog she is and I have noticed she is walkind wth her heel down first on her ind legs and it sometimes looks slightly wrong,then I saw her neck was swollen, she has had a small injection type lump for a long while and we have to be careful not to grab her scruff if she attacks the other dogs as it really hurts her so she wears a whippet collar to protect her neck.She has been to vet and has a massive swelling up and around her neck and down into shoulder blades it does feel like an infected tumour type mass and I hope I have noticed this quickly enough and it hasn't spread to any organs but when she is operated on to remove her chip in a couple of weeks after more antibiotics and anti inflammatories I think there is going to be a lot of damage ..I am gutted I had her chipped to protect her not put her through pain or give her a tumour..my Rosie is my heart,I am not having my pup chipped as I intended after what I have looked up tonight and I will support any actions taken by others who are going through what our family are feeling right now..worried sick!!!!


----------



## EmmaRose38 (Nov 7, 2011)

Me 07890987022 get in touch!
My jrt Rosie is having a problem!


----------



## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

OK first of all it should be noted that if you intend to ever travel to mainland Europe your dog needs to be microchipped and have a pet passport. No microchip, no travel. Most, if not all puppies here in Germany come chipped and with a pet passport.

The movement of the microchip was a problem with earlier chips. The chances of them moving have now been significantly reduced.

When you bear in mind that according to the dogs trust (Dogs Trust - Microchipping) over 4 million dogs have been microchipped. I would like to know where the 1 in 1000 number comes from as surely this problem would be highlighted far more regularly and vigorously, especially when it also is used by probably millions of cats as well as those 4 million dogs.

I'm not discounting the rare possibility though and one indication which does exist is the attached report (2003 report based on a single animal). The following is, to my mind, the major point:


> Despite the huge number of microchips that are implanted annually in pets, the number of adverse reactions reported is limited, with migration, loss from the body and failure to work being the most common. In contrast, inflammatory reactions such as swelling and abscess are unusual. Tumors have never before been associated with
> microchip implantation in pets. Veterinary surgeons are therefore encouraged to check the microchips that have been implanted to pets at least annually, e.g. when they come in for vaccinations, and report any adverse reaction.


In my mind the risk of chipping is minimal compared to the benefits.


----------



## Antichip2 (Nov 9, 2011)

CHIPPING IS NOT ALL IT SEEMS

First of all, my sympathies to EmmaRose38 and Rosie - I do hope she's OK. For those dog owners (and cat and horse) unaware of the possible adverse reactions to microchips - and there are many, despite Goblin's post to the contrary - perhaps you may wish to read the articles I wrote and had published in Dogs Monthly magazine, which can be viewed at
*http://www.dogsmonthly.co.uk/downloads/DM_Sept09_page_10-15.pdf**http://www.dogsmonthly.co.uk/downloads/DM_June10_pages10-15.pdf*
*http://www.dogsmonthly.co.uk/downloads/Microchip article July10.pdf*
They are all available to read at *Welcome to Léon's memorial website and information regarding his tragic passing* (an informative website on the subject of microchipping) if you cannot access them by clicking on the links above.
Also see *Microchip Implants *for more info. And *ChipMeNot UK - Against compulsory dog chipping *and *Microchip Implants* 
You may also be interested in my response to posts on the Dogs Monthly forum following the publications of my articles at Dogs Monthly Magazine Forum • View topic - Will you microchip?

In addition, there are three further articles I have written - one concerning adverse reactions in horses (published in Your Horse magazine (July 2011), another detailing the first recent proven case of a microchip causing cancer in a cat, and the third detailing passport problems with chips published in Dogs Monthly Feb 2011. I would be happy to email these articles to anyone interested.

I have almost four years-worth of research to back up all the articles I have written, plus spoken to vets both for and against chipping in the UK and abroad.

I do think vets and charities that promote chipping should inform owners with the potential cons as well as the pros, then people can make up their own mindsaftyer being able to make an informed choice. However, doing this would not pave the way to compulsory chipping, obviously! Those that would have it made compulsory would find it hard to do if they told people that the procedure is potentially not as safe as they make it out to be.

If anyone has experienced a suspected adverse reaction would talk to me about, please provide an email address and/or phone number so I can get in touch with you.

It's said that adverse reactions are few, but even the chairman of the Microchip Advisory Group admits ARs are underreported.

Incidentally, a recent 'independent' report entitled _Compulsory Microchipping in the UK_, which was presented to Government last November (2010) in support of compulsory chipping of dogs in this country was, in fact, commissioned by Bayer who supply Tracer microchips. It was, in my view, anything but independent, and played down adverse reactions.

Antichip2


----------



## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

I still think the benefits outweigh the risks  Hope Rosie is OK.


----------



## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

Although mine are all micro chipped I think tattooing is a better option.


----------



## Shrap (Nov 22, 2010)

Malmum said:


> Although mine are all micro chipped I think tattooing is a better option.


There is probably a way of removing the tattoo.

E.G ex racing greyhounds have their ear cut off. If microchipping was compulsory they couldn't exactly do that and the dogs could be traced back to the original owner - and the owner then prosecuted for being a massive pr*ck.

My boy is chipped and tattood, though the tattoo isn't great, first few numbers are quite hard to read. Dino is too big for it to be redone now though. It hurts quite a bit.


----------



## Goblin (Jun 21, 2011)

Antichip2 said:


> ...despite Goblin's post to the contrary...
> 
> ...I have almost four years-worth of research to back up all the articles I have written, plus spoken to vets both for and against chipping in the UK and abroad.


You'll notice I did include a report possibly linking cancer to a chip as I want to get a balanced viewpoint. In all of the data linked I have not seen any real applicable numbers.. All I want is a balanced view and this is sadly lacking in this thread with people generally posting anti chip details as their first post. Whilst it's perfectly valid to do so it does seem suspicious.

I'm very skeptical about company practices and am convinced they can "arrange things", lobby politicians etc but a balance in this discussion is required. What are the advantages and what are the risk factors? With all this research what are the actual figures of implanted chip failures and cancers? Why isn't it heard more about if it is so common ? I like to think I have an open mind in an open discussion if provided with facts showing both sides. Bombard me with only one sided argument and I will find it harder to believe.


----------



## Shrap (Nov 22, 2010)

Goblin said:


> You'll notice I did include a report possibly linking cancer to a chip as I want to get a balanced viewpoint. In all of the data linked I have not seen any real applicable numbers.. All I want is a balanced view and this is sadly lacking in this thread with people generally posting anti chip details as their first post. Whilst it's perfectly valid to do so it does seem suspicious.
> 
> I'm very skeptical about company practices and am convinced they can "arrange things", lobby politicians etc but a balance in this discussion is required. What are the advantages and what are the risk factors? With all this research what are the actual figures of implanted chip failures and cancers? *Why isn't it heard more about if it is so common* ? I like to think I have an open mind in an open discussion if provided with facts showing both sides. Bombard me with only one sided argument and I will find it harder to believe.


Conspiracy!


----------



## EmmaRose38 (Nov 7, 2011)

Maybe it's not common but if it happens to your pet I wouldn't wish this feeling on anyone..Rosie has to have another 20 days antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and my vet has described the procedure just to locate the chip,they have to insert 4 wires down her neck to her shoulders,then x-ray to try to locate depth and position of chip,followed hopefully by surgery to remove the hateful thing..I just pray this lump is not cancerous and has not spread in her body,I have ordered her a raised bowl so she can eat comfortably again as she has twinges of pain when eating now and is not finishing her food.Bayer have been in touch and contacted my vet requesting Rosie's medical records and I am happy for them to investigate this further so long as I am kept informed as I would like to know if Rosies chip or it's housing is damaged or if the lump has to be biopsied, is it fibrosarcoma or something similar,then I know where I stand.At the moment just feel quite ill about the whole situation and have concerns should microchipping become compulsory as I personally will not be happy to have another pet chipped as it has not been in Rosie's best interests at all.I did it to protect her not shorten her life or put her through pain!


----------



## weerubbertum (Oct 3, 2011)

I can cerainly see the advantages of microchipping. We had planned to get my dog a pet passport for next year. We had her microchipped when she was a puppy. She was put to sleep 1.5 weeks ago for lymphoma which at the moment remains a mystery as to the source. It may have been the microchip or it may not. For her whole life - a very short 2.5 years - we felt security knowing that we would have a chance of recovering her if she was lost stolen because of the microchip. I will however (if it's okay with Goblin - please excuse my "one-sided argument") NOT be microchipping my other dog when i get her. There is too much unknown about microchipping but i think one very important point to add is that reporting of any adverse reactions is voluntary on the vet's part. Lets be honest, they make money and are always in the palms of these big companies. It's also fair to say that vets and charities operate with statistics in mind (fair enough - the health and safety of thousands of animals outweighs one or two) however i'm sure that i'm about to find out that my beloved dog was within the "acceptable" and "negligable" minority.


----------



## BlueBeagle (Oct 27, 2011)

Well, I have no choice but to microchip due to the fact we took 1 cat with us when we moved abroad and subsequently adopted another cat and a dog in various countries when we moved. Now, if I didn't microchip there would be no way I could bring my pets back to Europe and I am not the sort of person who has 'disposable' pets. Lots of people get a pet when on an expat assignment and then dump them when they leave.

So that is my choice; microchip or leave them behind. I know which I have chosen!


----------



## EmmaRose38 (Nov 7, 2011)

BlueBeagle said:


> Well, I have no choice but to microchip due to the fact we took 1 cat with us when we moved abroad and subsequently adopted another cat and a dog in various countries when we moved. Now, if I didn't microchip there would be no way I could bring my pets back to Europe and I am not the sort of person who has 'disposable' pets. Lots of people get a pet when on an expat assignment and then dump them when they leave.
> 
> So that is my choice; microchip or leave them behind. I know which I have chosen!


I wanted to travel with Rosie and the pup and now have a problem regarding reentry to the country should my parents become ill,this whole situation is stressful to the extreme.Am having a bad day after telephone conversation with Bayer whom refuse to admit there is any such thing as an adverse reaction to a microchip until I got passed to a 3rd person within the company who managed to contradict the previous lies I had just been told and refused to accept.I have been fair with them and given them the opportunity to give me advice regarding my situation with Rosie,I have allowed them access to my vet and her medical reords and they are not being fair with me.I just want the right treatment for Rosie and the best way to fight a possible tumour that may be caused by their chip,according to Bayer they have no record of any animal ever having any reaction to a microchip,my tactful response was connected to the products of a bulls backside!!!!


----------



## weerubbertum (Oct 3, 2011)

Good for you Bluebeagle. I genuinely hope that your pets dont end up representing the minority as my girl did. Damned if you do, damned if you dont - that's the way i see microchipping. 

(...and i respect you fully intending to bring your pets home, i am VERY aware of the many animals who end up as strays because they are considered disposable) xxx


----------



## EmmaRose38 (Nov 7, 2011)

Oh weerubbertum felt quite green when I read your post yet you make perfect sense,I also will not be chipping my pup and am happy to make a stand regarding this,I will not have 2 of my animals harmed because of my actions nor would I put my elderly dog who is on a time limit with congestive heart failure through any invasive unneccessary procedure..I thought microchipping was safe,still feel sick:-(


----------



## EmmaRose38 (Nov 7, 2011)

Rosie had her operation yesterday chip and tumour removed,Bayer have agreed to pay for the biopsy..I hope the results are good for Rosie's sake and will update when I get them..wanted to upload a photo of her wounds but will need to put them on photobucket I think..If anyone is interested contact me and I can send them a photo via email!


----------

