microchipping?

[erika]

Have any of you gotten your ferrets microchipped? What are everyone's views on this?

[Ashley]

I don't have any of my ferrets microchipped, but I do know of a few ferret rescues that get their ferrets microchipped when they get adopted. My concerns with them though, are only people who have a scanner can scan the chip, so if your neighbour is to find your lost fuzzy it wouldn't be of any help, and the size of the needle to inject the microchip is very large, and would be very painful for a ferret unless put asleep to have it done. I have seen vets even put large dogs to sleep to have one injected.

[Tressie]

Absolutely correct Ashley.

Donnola was microchipped when she came into the SPCA shelter in PEI. They did not sedate her nor did they realize she was completely deaf. This traumatized her so badly that the first time I tried to scruff her she went ballistic and repeatedly bit both my hands! I felt so BADLY for terrifying her again. I will say I did not react at the time, simply waited for her to calm down and gently put her in the cage. Then I tended to the bites on my hands, which ended up going septic because they were deep bites and I had to go on antibiotics.

I couldn't figure out why scruffing her was so traumatic until I called the veterinary student who had surrendered her to us for being a vicious biter. After talking to her for a while she said that maybe it was the microchipping the shelter did. So I called them to see if they sedated their animals when they did it - NOPE!

She was a fear biter from an abusive home and microchipping her made her a worse fear biter. I don't even try to scruff her, which is going to be an issue the day she will need medications.

All this to say - I would not microchip any of mine.

And your point that people don't exactly have home scanners is a good one. They are only good if the animal ends up at a vet clinic or a shelter.

Tressie

[lufta]

All my kids are micro chipped and were slightly sedated to do so and none of my 5 (9) received such a traumatic experience. I think it is a personal decision. My decision was made because we were traveling with all our 9 animals to move across country and didn't want to take the chance to lose a ferret or any of them.
Whatever you do if you do decide make sure it is an microchip that is read with all scanners. Your vet should be able to help you with that.

[airy]

I was considering to get mine microchipped after having a recent scare of thinking that 2 of them got out, but after reading this I do not know, I refuse to do anything that will cause them pain or trauma. If I ask the vet to have them sedated for it, would he comply with my wishes??

I remember reading somewhere that this girl had to go away and got a friend to look after her ferret, the ferret got lose and ended up in a shelter, it was not microchipped so there was no way of identifying it so it got adopted out to someone else, when the women returned from her vacation she contacted the shelter and traced the ferret to its new home, The new owner refused to give the ferret back saying that it must not of been well cared for if it was able to escape..even though the owner was not the one responsible for her ferret getting lose, anyways there was a big battle and she had to fight to get her ferret back..eventually the new owner agreed to let her have it back but what a headache that must of been for her, if her ferret was microchipped maybe this would not of happened..I don't know but it is stories like this that I do take into consideration when it comes to microchipping.

[lufta]

Exactly why I did mine. But I think that is a decision you need to make and a good vet will hep you make the right decision as well then do what is best for your ferret. If the vet refused...then maybe find another one??? Good luck