My grandparents' puppy is getting fixed and chipped next week.

[Roon]

I was just wondering,don't the vets and shelters pretty much always check for a chip when a stray is brought in? I always wondered that.

[LeftyMom]

1. The problem is that the chipping systems aren't all compatible.

So one reader might not read another company's chip. The best bet is to make sure your vet uses the same system as your local shelter, just in case your dog ever gets loose. And still make sure you have a tag as well, since many well-meaning members of the public might find a loose dog and not know about chips or where to get them read, and check only for a tag.

[Roon]

2. Oh ok

Great points. I love how you can just go to petsmart and they have a robotic engraver to make your nametags instantly instead of sending away for it and waiting 6 weeks.

[LeftyMom]

3. That is so convenient.

I remember we used to go to the hardware store and get little metal-edged paper tags to use temporarily until the mail-order ones would come.

One thing I do with my cats is get one of the ultra-fine sharpies and write my phone number on their collars as well. That way if they get loose and the tag gets off somehow, there's an extra line of defense there. I've heard of people getting their info tattooed on an animal as well, but honestly I think that would be fairly traumatic unless you put the animal out while you did it, and anesthesia is pretty dangerous, so I wouldn't consider that personally.

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. As I remember, the PetSmart tags were cheap...

.
...immediate, and oh-so-easy to get -- AND they had room
for a phone number, I think.
.

[LeftyMom]

6. Of course they do.

I write my number on collars as well, in case a tag gets lost somehow. Those little jump rings that connect them to collars aren't the sturdiest things in the world.

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. When I first read that...

.
... I thought 'chipped' was some sort of new invasive surgical
technique vets used to 'fix' puppies... and my next all-consuming
thought was:
.
owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-
owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-
owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie-owwie
.

[Roon]

7. LOL!!

My Grandmother said Skosh is going to get "snipped" and it literally hurt me..down there...