# Microchip your (or a rescue) rabbit?



## SnootyPuffs (May 26, 2010)

This rescue (in link below) is doing just that and despite the debate concerning implanted microchips moving or perhaps causing problems, this seems to me to be a good idea because I'm (sadly!) learning that bunnies often get dumped multiple times and go from home to home (if they're even that lucky). It would be excellent to be able to trace any adopted bun' back to the owner! 

This rescue mentions the benefit of a microchip finding a "lost" bun. Maybe I'm too much a realist, there's so many buns that get "lost" on purpose (aka bun's home releases it - adopted or not - or thinks its appropriate to let the bun free in the yard unsupervised).

And yeah there's the genuine escapes and bun's that do get lost.

http://www.mnhouserabbit.org/adoption/microchip.html

Any of you have your bun chipped? or identified in some way? 

I'd guess the best time to have it done is during a speuter.


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## Tessie (May 26, 2010)

My English Bulldog is microchiped never thought of my buuny but I think it is a great idea


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## elrohwen (May 26, 2010)

As much as I'm in favor of microchips in dogs and cats, I'm not convinced that they're a great idea in bunnies. For one, the size of the chip is quite large compared to the size of a regular dwarf bunny - I imagine there could be complications if it were to move around. I'd like to see more research first.

Second, I agree that most "lost" bunnies are actually dumped. With our house rabbits, at least, the chance that they'll get outside and run away are pretty slim, so I don't think it's worth the potential risk of implanting the chip.


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## Myia09 (May 26, 2010)

I dislike microchips for all animals..I see the point, but a part of me just can't. I am too paranoid. LOL.

But I have seen how large they are, and I don't think it would be good for a small dwarf bunny.


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## Tessie (May 26, 2010)

*Myia09 wrote: *


> I dislike microchips for all animals..I see the point, but a part of me just can't. I am too paranoid. LOL.
> 
> But I have seen how large they are, and I don't think it would be good for a small dwarf bunny.



It is no bigger than a grain of rice :rollseyes. And can save your pet, how big are the ones you saw:?















HowStuffWorks "What are those microchips that people put in their d 
The entire mechanism can range in *size* from less than half an inch to a little over an inch in length. The average *microchip* is about the *size* of a grain of rice. The device itself contains no battery, and its electronic circuitry is only activated when it is being scanned.


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## Myia09 (May 26, 2010)

the one I saw was a lot larger than a grain of rice..but also not super large..like a camera memory card. Your article saying "Range in size from less than half and inch to little over an inch"
Over an inch is very large for a small rabbit. 

And like I said, I "Understand the reasons" for them, but I would never get them done to my animals. That is just my personal prefrence. They already came out with microchips for children, and again, I understand..but no thanks. I guess I am just paranoid. Blame it on my Lutheran upbrining, my love of personal liberty, freedom, and dislike for goverment control.


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## Dragonrain (May 26, 2010)

None of my pets are microchipped right now, but I've been debating for awhile getting them done. Part of me thinks it's kind of weird to be implanting chips into my animals, but then again I've heard so many stories about the good they can do. 

I've heard of animals way smaller than dwarf rabbits being chipped with no ill effects. 

Microchips can migrate in any animal - I think it's actually pretty common in dogs. I have a friend who has a dog with a microchip in his elbow area, because it migrated there instead of staying near the scruff of his neck. Her vet said it was fine, it wouldn't hurt him, and that most shelters will scan the whole pet to look for chips, because they know they can migrate.


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## SnootyPuffs (May 26, 2010)

Most of the responders here on RO probably don't need to microchip since from what I'm reading most of you take exceptional care :biggrinf your buns.

I'm a little lost on why a chip is so bad? Pets get implanted this and that (I don't know much on rabbits). I had a dog with a total hip replacement, have one with a tooth crowned, had horses with screws in their legs, people have pacemakers, knee, hip replacements, etc.... I bet most of you have had your rabbits speutered, which involves injections and chemical,anatomical manipulation. If your bun ever has common molar issues or say, an abscess, or GI obstruction? I bet you'll consider surgery. Now, comparing to that, is a chip so bad?

I was thinking that microchips are a perfect solution for keeping track of rescue bun's whereabouts since they can easily get dumped. 

I was also wishing that the rabbit pet trade could be forced to microchip buns so that any dumped bunnies can be traced back to their origin. 

Can you tell, I've just been informed...as in eyes wide open now :shock:....about the yearly Easter bunny dump. I'm also reading that bunnies tend to get dumped multiple times into different homes or worse released anywhere (had someone at random a few days ago tell me they did this! They acted like it was no big deal!). If a chip is in place, you can't do that w/o the bun being traced back to you. 

Well I have come up with one solution for the problem! just make those that initiate the problem in the first place PAY for it from their own pockets. Once the seller realizes they can be penalized for their animals that get picked up by animal control/rescue, then I bet we'll see prices rise on pet bun's, spay/neuter req's in place, and better point of sale education materials directed at potential buyers. 

This just all flew through my head a moment ago when I was reading how rescues are flooded with bun's every year. 

I can't speak, I'm doing a rehome, thus I'm guilty, but I may not go through with it after all (I've been reading too much bad news about what happens to a lot of buns). If I do, I'm having them microchipped. And from what I've read online about bun's being dumped multiple times, I think I'll just pay for the future home to do an annual vet visit so I can verify that the buns are safe. That would give me a health stat' update too. I couldn't afford to do that on multiple buns (just thinking if I ever jump into rescue) but in this case why not.


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## Krissa (May 27, 2010)

My dog is micro chipped, I had it done during her spay. She is 3 now and has not had any ill effects. However, now that I am learning more about medicine (nursing school for my second degree) I am wary about any new medical procedure. Microchips are new and there is little information about the long term effects of their placement. I did not microchip my three indoor cats for that very reason - I want more information about the long term health ramifications before I microchip any more pets.

A personal example: When looking for sterilization for myself I was looking at tubal ligation or the Essure (copper wire coil inserted into the fallopian tubes to block them) product. After doing reasearch I found that Essure is very new and there is little long term data for the product. My husband stepped up and got a vasectomy because he felt the female procedures were too risky compared to the male.

On the other hand, because of the large number of dumped rabbits, it may be useful for them to be micro chipped as a deterrent. It seems like it would be in the best interest of these rabbits.

So to sum it up - I won't microchip my pets without more research on the product but in a rescue sense it seems like a good idea.


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## Mrs. PBJ (May 27, 2010)

My dog as a child was microchipped I am 21 and he died at the ripe old age of 14 he was done as a puppy Microchips them selves have been around for quite a number of years. 

They did not start getting wildly used until about 6 years ago if that. 

All my pets beside Jessi is microchip Storm my other bun Phoenix my dog and Boss my cat. My reason for microchipping is one I live in a apartment if the apartment catches fire when I am not home those microchips say hey these are my pets. 

2 I live in hurricane area. You would be surprised how many times animal control checked our three pets to match up to the cards I had in my wallet. Our last hurricane.

3 you never know when your pet could get out our shelter does that when the dog cat or even rabbit come in checks for a chip. If your house catches on fire god forbid and your four house cats get out safe but they are scared they are going to take off and not know there way home. Those microchips could be the difference between life and death or coming home and being adopted out to a new home.

Storm my 2 pound netherland Dwarf has a chip we barely flinched when he did it. Jessi will be getting hers in June. All my pets will be microchipped.

The risk 

2 percent chance of cancer
Microchip moving 

Those are the two I was told by my vet when we did Phoenix 3 years ago. To me the benefits out way the risk. 
I lost Phoenix as a 7 month old puppy I got a call with in two hour saying we have a dog with a microchip in your name can you decide your dog. 

Had she not had a microchip who knows if she would have ever made it home. Phoenix also wears a collar and tags and all travel kennels have pets name home address and 3 working phone numbers I update tags as soon as something changes. 

My cat also wears a collar and tags. 

They are all strictly indoors but better safe then sorry.


And I am not sure how many people know this but most state the shelter only has to keep the dog for 72 hours before adopting it out or putting it down. Same goes for all stray pets. 

If you don't find your pet in the first 72 hour the likely hood of you finding it is slim.


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## Dragonrain (May 27, 2010)

Another thing to consider is theft. Sadly there are people who steal pets. People are starting to use microchip registration now as proof of ownership. So if, god forbid, someone steals your pet and you find out where it is, if it's microchipped and you report the theft then chances are if the microchip is registered to you the authorities will be on your side and have the animal returned. 

I haven't heard of microchips moving as being that big of a deal. Like I said the shelters around here are all aware that the chips can move sometimes. They scan all over the whole animal looking for chips, they don't just scan between the shoulder blades.

Cancer is scary though. I've dealt with enough of it to know all to well. I've heard conflicting things about the actual cancer risk of microchips. On one hand, just about everything "causes cancer" these days. On the other, I don't want to put my pets at risk. Even if it's a small chance, it's a chance, and cancer is a horrible thing to go through. I don't know - honestly the cancer thing is the main reason I haven't gotten my pets chipped yet.


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## Mrs. PBJ (May 27, 2010)

Dragonrain wrote:


> Another thing to consider is theft. Sadly there are people who steal pets. People are starting to use microchip registration now as proof of ownership. So if, god forbid, someone steals your pet and you find out where it is, if it's microchipped and you report the theft then chances are if the microchip is registered to you the authorities will be on your side and have the animal returned.
> 
> I haven't heard of microchips moving as being that big of a deal. Like I said the shelters around here are all aware that the chips can move sometimes. They scan all over the whole animal looking for chips, they don't just scan between the shoulder blades.
> 
> Cancer is scary though. I've dealt with enough of it to know all to well. I've heard conflicting things about the actual cancer risk of microchips. On one hand, just about everything "causes cancer" these days. On the other, I don't want to put my pets at risk. Even if it's a small chance, it's a chance, and cancer is a horrible thing to go through. I don't know - honestly the cancer thing is the main reason I haven't gotten my pets chipped yet.



With the cancer there is a 8 percent chance for your pet to develop cancer before they pass. 8 out of 100 pets will develop cancer. So to me the 2 percent is less then the risk they will get it anyway.


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## RandomWiktor (May 27, 2010)

My cat and birds are chipped. I know MANY people who have had their parrots stolen and want at least a chance of getting them home, esp. since two aren't banded. And considering that something like 5% of cats to enter shelters ever make it hope, I want permenant ID on Leo. He is the kind of cat that would get euthanized.


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## Tessie (May 27, 2010)

*RandomWiktor wrote: *


> My cat and birds are chipped. I know MANY people who have had their parrots stolen and want at least a chance of getting them home, esp. since two aren't banded. And considering that something like 5% of cats to enter shelters ever make it hope, I want permenant ID on Leo. He is the kind of cat that would get euthanized.


I am sooo happy to here your bird is chipped .I have a Macaw what is your bird?


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## BethM (May 27, 2010)

Something to consider: a lot of rabbit rescues are small operations, and are unable to scan/read the microchip. The rescue I volunteer with wouldn't even consider scanning a rabbit for a microchip. Thus, any rabbit that came to us with one will remain "unidentified.". We don't even pay attention to ear tattoos.

What if someone gave their pet to someone, without changing the registration info, then that person dumped the animal at a shelter, rescue, side of the road. Then if the animal was scanned and linked back to the original owner, will you try to hold him/her responsible for the actions of the second person?


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## SnootyPuffs (May 27, 2010)

*BethM wrote: *


> Something to consider: a lot of rabbit rescues are small operations, and are unable to scan/read the microchip. The rescue I volunteer with wouldn't even consider scanning a rabbit for a microchip. Thus, any rabbit that came to us with one will remain "unidentified.". We don't even pay attention to ear tattoos.
> 
> What if someone gave their pet to someone, without changing the registration info, then that person dumped the animal at a shelter, rescue, side of the road. Then if the animal was scanned and linked back to the original owner, will you try to hold him/her responsible for the actions of the second person?


I like my idea and you raise valid points. There would be technicalities to be worked out. 

Why can't a rescue ask a vet or animal shelter to donate scanning services? If I were in their shoes, I'd gladly donate that service since it's for a good cause and costs nothing out of pocket to do it.

I see your point regarding registration. How about having registration follow a pet just like a title on a car? Like that, all information can be recorded in a single database that follows the chipped pet. Though I know that right now there isn't a single database (one flaw, but this could still be a helpful solution). Registration can be like when your buying a car and want to acquire the history report. A database can hold info of all owners with dates, change of ownership, and so forth.

It is tougher to keep track of rabbits since they aren't required to have yearly vaccinations like dogs/cats, but this idea could be used by rescue/breeders/anyone selling rabbits as a way to ID/track bunnies for life.


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## SnootyPuffs (May 27, 2010)

*RandomWiktor wrote: *


> My cat and birds are chipped. I know MANY people who have had their parrots stolen and want at least a chance of getting them home, esp. since two aren't banded. And considering that something like 5% of cats to enter shelters ever make it hope, I want permenant ID on Leo. He is the kind of cat that would get euthanized.



Further good reason to microchip! It can happen. I tend to think the worst. What if someone keeps bunnies outside, like during the day, and some neighborhood kid steals them? Let's just say, that the bun (hopefully!) ends up at a shelter. A chip will mean the difference for that bun coming home vs. being considered a stray. I know chips work if the info is kept on file. In fact, even if info isn't kept up to date, it can still help at least with my vet, my dogs chip's info directs to that clinic. 

If a bird can manage to be chipped, I think a rabbit can handle it, especially if the bun's to be speutered anyway (do it at the same time).


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## Mrs. PBJ (May 27, 2010)

To the rescue post.

All vets have microchip scanners and if a rescue is not scanning for chips that is wrong. 

Vet do it for free I take strays in all the time to be scanned. I would hope all rescues check for microchip. even ones that pull out of shelters. Your dealing with stray animals. So any one of them could have a chip. 

The galveston humane society Microchips every animal that come thru there shelter even hamsters. I would be very angry with a rescue that did not check for a chip for my pets. Although I know this could be one reason most pets even with chips don't find their way home. 

I adopted a cat and when I went to get the chip they found it already had a chip. I called the owners and they had been looking for there cat for over a year. That cat had been sitting in a cage for a year and could have been home. 

Is you volunteer for a rescue please ask them to get all pets checked for microchips. if they do not already.


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## SnootyPuffs (May 27, 2010)

hamsters get chipped too? WOW! :shock: I admit, I did not know that.


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## BethM (May 27, 2010)

*Mrs. PBJ wrote: *


> To the rescue post.
> 
> All vets have microchip scanners and if a rescue is not scanning for chips that is wrong.
> 
> ...


Maybe it would be "wrong" when dealing with a cat or dog rescue, as it is becoming more common to microchip dogs and cat. But for a rescue that is exclusively rabbits? Sorry, it is not that common, it is not "wrong" to not check a rabbit for a chip. I also know for a fact that not all the vets here have microchip scanners. And I live in a major metropolitan area.

The shelters here don't even check rabbits for chips, even the few with a vet on staff. (In fact, several of them keep rabbits less than a week- there is one that keeps rabbits for only 12 to 24 hours- before euthanizing them They're not exactly concerned about finding a home for rabbits.) 
You just can't expect a small resource-strapped rescue to be doing that. Like I said, we don't even pay attention to tattoos. When a rabbit comes in with a tattoo, we notice long enough to realize the rabbit came from a breeder, then we move on to try to find a good home for that rabbit.


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## RexyRex (May 28, 2010)

Gixxer and Takumi both have chips since they came from animal control, my city's AC chips all their intakes.

They are both mini rexes so both are on the small side and I haven't seen any ill effects of the chips, it will be 3 years in Oct. since I got Gixxer and 2 years in Dec. for Takumi.

I did not transfer the information from the shelter because if, god forbid, something happens and they become lost they will be taken to animal control who will then in turn contact me.

I think that this is purely a personal preference. My buns are 100% inside animals so I never thought I had a need to chip them. Kat brings up an excellent point about chipping in case of a fire, I never thought of that.


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## Luluznewz (May 28, 2010)

My families dog got lost once. We were out on a walk, she saw a bird, freaked out and popped her collar. It was a very strange situation and completely unlike her. Because we werent close to home she didnt know how to find her way back. She ran wild in the hills for days before someone finally managed to catch her and bring her to a shelter.

She is a beautiful, very friendly dog but she is also a boxer which is a bully breed. I'm sure someone would have adopted her very quickly or she would have been put down. Either way we might not have gotten her back.

She was microchipped and that brought her home. All my my dogs are microchipped. The rabbit is not because I think that's a bit unnecessary but that's just because Lulu is never free outside because I dont have a yard and I dont trust her to know not to run off. I think its extremely important for pets who go outside (or could escape outside) to be microchipped.


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## undergunfire (May 31, 2010)

Our dog and 7 month old kitten are chipped.....the dog I had done when he got the last of his puppy shots (the rescue didn't chip him) and our kitten was chipped when we adopted him from the shelter. Quil (kitten)'s chip has migrated down to his "upper arm" area (not sure what to call it), but thats the only "bad experience" we have had. I will be taking my other 2 cats in to get their chips done pretty soon (we are moving cross country in 2 years, I want to be safe!!) . Even though my kitties are inside only, their is still a risk they could get outside - they do not wear collars, so I feel safer knowing they will be chipped as identification.

I won't chip the buns, as I just don't think its necessary as they don't go outside (maybe once a year).


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 1, 2010)

My cockatiels are microchipped. The needle looked big, but the chip really was grain of rice sized and the birds didn't make a sound when it was injected! I had them microchipped in the off chance they ever get outside and fly away.

Of my three current bunnies, only Rory is microchipped. I had them do it when he was under for his neuter, but I don't really think it would have traumatized him if he was awake. I decided to have him microchipped because my bunnies go outside often in the summer. We have a chainlink fenced yard, and the bunnies run around in their bunny enclosure made of two children's play yards put together, and they're never left alone... but I feel better knowing that if he ever gets away, at least he's microchipped. Oh and before I had it done, I called the animal shelter in my town (no rabbit rescues) and they said they scan ALL animals that come in. 

Skyler was microchipped during his neuter too, but Ned and Phoebe weren't. Ned came to me neutered and I completely forgot to ask the vet to microchip Phoebs when she was spayed!


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