Microchips: Safe? Or not?
Do microchips cause cancer? Dr. Jon Rappaport, founder of the pet info web site Pet Place, takes up the topic in brief article that concludes (drum roll) -- we don't know yet.
There has been one reported case that they suspect the microchip could have been a problem but the dog was also vaccinated for rabies and a definite cause could not be determined. Are there more cases that have not yet been diagnosed? I don't know.
He still "absolutely" recommends microchippping your dog as the best way to permanently identify your pet.
Microchips are similar to bar codes and are implanted just under the skin (an embedded microchip in a cat is shown here, courtesy of Wikipedia.org).
A decade-old study found that microchip implants increased the risk of cancer in laboratory mice and rates. Veterinary societies, however, continue to support the procedure as reasonably safe for cats and dogs, pointing out that rats of serious complications are extremely rare.
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.
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