Bruce H

You are right on the money KSbowman!!! EVERY vet should have a scanner and use it. Just a part of the cost of doing business. And not all that big of a cost either. I may be wrong, but I seem to remember our scanner cost just a little over $300. When I look at what vets charges are, that's a drop in the bucket.

Just as a point of interest, you may want to have your dog scanned any time you have her in to be sure the chip is still working. We occaisionally board dogs for our puppy people and routinely scan them to be sure the chip is working. Last month, for the first time ever, we had a chip that had failed. Only 6 months old! We went all over that dog with the scanner in case it had migrated. Our vet confirmed that the chip wasn't working and placed a new one at no cost.

KSbowman

Thanks for the advice, I'll make sure to have the vet routinely check her. We did check it when it was placed in her and worked fine.

Cara

Microchips and tattoos are also great for ensuring your dog doesn't end up in a laboratory. Those who use dogs for experiments cannot touch one that has a chip or tattoo, and some animal control departments actually sell dogs to laboratories rather than euthanize. Medium sized breeds such as Coonhounds, spaniels and beagles are the most common victims. Obviously tattoos can be hard to read though, and even harder to know what the number refers to in order to find an owner. Microchips can be updated free for life, once the initial registration fee has been paid.