Micro Chipping

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Guinea Slave

Guinea Slave

Adult Guinea Pig
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Following on from the awful recent stories of people's beloved piggies being stolen it scares me rigid.

Do you think piggies are too small to be microchipped? I am just thinking that if you could get them chipped and leave a notice on the side of the cage or run then it may make people think twice about stealing them?

Just a thought?
 
Thanks for that. Probably OK then? Will ask my vet but would make me feel happier.

Mine are pretty secure as we have a secure back garden where their shed it but I hate to lock the shed ( I know it sounds ridiculous but if there was ever a fire or something I want someone to be able to get in there quick!)...and in the summer I have a mesh door across so its really not practical...this could act at least as a deterrent.

yes I am a paranoid piggy mum :...
 
Butler is chipped the rescue does this automatically and he is registerred to me :))
 
If the microchip acted as GPS to tell you where they'd gone if they were stolen then I would say it was worth it. However, that's not the case so tbh I wouldn't bother because
1) It would rely on a vet being suspicious that the pig someone brought in didn't belong to them.
2) It's rare for them to be microchipped so it would probably immediately be discounted.

The only benefit I would see would be if they escaped but then I don't think anyone's pigs should ever have an opportunity to escape somewhere they can't get caught.
 
I'm not sure guineas can even BE microchipped, it's difficult sometimes on small dogs/rabbits. Personally I wouldn't, a chip in a dog is much smaller ratio to a chip in a guinea. If you are worried maybe buy a padlock and chain with a key or combination lock? You could use it on your hutches and runs.
 
Obviously it's up to yourself, but I don't really know if it'd be worth it. It's very unlikely they'd be stolen, I know it happens, but probably they are safe enough if your garden is quite safe.

But I bet they can do it, they microchip tiny puppies and kittens :) So if you want to then do :)
 
You can microchip piggies yeah. I've got my microchipping certificate and you have to chip at least 3 animals to do it - I did a guinea, a rabbit and a ferret.

Like someone else said, its unlikely that a vet would scan a guinea pig. I know where I work, new dogs or cats automatically get scanned.

If you want to deter theives, maybe just a sign on your hutch would be enough, without them actually being microchipped?
 
And if you are genuinely worried that there is a chance they could be stolen then you need to weigh it up against the odds of fire happening. When I kept mine in the extension on the back of the garage when I was a child I ALWAYS locked it at night.
 
In the Neterlands there are breeders that chip there guinea's ( a specaly when they cant ceep them apart becouse they are all the same breed) . I find a chip a bit to large for a smal pet like a guinea pig.
 
Mine was chipped so that if i pass him on and he ended up a neglect case then he would be traced back to me and the rescue would know i had passed him on rather than return him to them as my adoption policy stated.
 
Thanks for all the really useful replies. I guess it comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. I have never seen how large a 'chip' is so will have a look next time I am at the vets. I do like the idea of putting a sign up anyway even if they are'nt!

I know chips work well with other animals (horses etc) when or if they go missing and have been known to help them find their way home.

Thanks!
 
I think the chips are about the size of a grain of rice (uncooked) :) So not too big.
 
there's a poster up at my vets abou chipping animals and it shows tortoises, birds and bunnies being able to get chipped. I would assume that if a bird could be chipped then a piggy could, yet I haven't got any of my boys chipped.
 
Blimey if a little bird can be chipped then a guinea surely can! I guess you can chip anything then? Kids next! LOL (please don't tell me they already do!)
 
i had my bunnies done a couple of weeks back and have been thinking of putting a sign up to say all the animals had been chipped.
I asked my vet about doing the piggies too. IT WOULD COST £30 each (or £10 with a voucher) and he said that he didnt think it worthwhile.
They would not scan the guinea pig if it was found or brought in as it is extremely rare they will be chipped.
They said that obviously if it is a case of a piggie being stolen, you finding it (again rare to be found) then obviously it would prove ownership, but photos could do the same.
I was still going to go ahead, but have decided to put the money to neutering the boys instead
 
Guinea Slave said:
Thanks for all the really useful replies. I guess it comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. I have never seen how large a 'chip' is so will have a look next time I am at the vets. I do like the idea of putting a sign up anyway even if they are'nt!

I know chips work well with other animals (horses etc) when or if they go missing and have been known to help them find their way home.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Horses are scanned as a matter of course because of passports and stuff.

Dogs and cats less so, but a lot of vets have a policy of scanning "new" dogs/cats that an owner has acquired.

Not sure about piggies though...
 
Guinea Slave said:
Blimey if a little bird can be chipped then a guinea surely can! I guess you can chip anything then? Kids next! LOL (please don't tell me they already do!)
Click to expand...

Well I have the contraceptive implant - could easily shove a microchip in instead!
 
I chip all dogs and cats that come in for homing, and when I did horse and pony rescue they were all done too, I started having small animals that were neutered chipped, because while they're under they won't feel it, but it's not a routine thing for vets to scan small animals, unless asked as far as I'm aware. The only time they will scan is before they chip them themselves incase they're already done, or if asked as far as I'm aware.
 
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