# Sedation for microchip?



## catinthemirror (Jun 28, 2011)

I just realized I should make this a new thread instead of tacking it onto my older one with a completely different topic. 

I've just come back from taking my cats to their third veterinarian. I've just been searching for one I liked and felt comfortable with, and I thought I had found that but apparently not. In any case I set up this appointment to get both my cats microchipped and for them to have a check up. Towards the end of the appointment, after the check up, I was informed by the vet that she was not going to microchip either of my cats unless they were sedated first. 

She was trying very hard to sell me a teeth cleaning appointment for both cats, which I just can't afford right now and when I can I want to prioritize getting my older cat done first (if she still needs it as she's now on raw food and I'm slowly seeing progress in it reducing her plaque). Her idea was to microchip them during the teeth cleaning, but like I said it's going to be a while before I can afford that for one cat, let alone two. So I was hoping to get them microchipped now for safety sake. 

The vet told me flat out she was not going to microchip them unless they were under sedation, and gave me very expensive estimate for sedation, microchipping, and an entire day of boarding for them to recover from the sedation. All this for a microchip?! My cats do not turn into biting terrors at the vet's office, they mostly just freeze up, so I have no idea why she's insisting all this is necessary. Do my cats really need sedation just to get microchipped? I thought microchips were safe.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

sounds like you need to keep looking for a vet. My cats were microchipped before I got them, so I don't have experience in this, but our local pet store has signs up for weekly microchip clinic. If they can do it at a pet store, I don't see why they need to be sedated. It was my understanding its not anything different than an injection, but I could be wrong.


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## shan841 (Jan 19, 2012)

this does not sound right at all! sedation has its risks, and is not necessary for microchipping. my local shelters do microchipping for something like $25


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

You certainly don't need to sedate an animal for microchipping and but the "needle" that goes into the skin to insert the microchip is quite large. I have seen pets microchipped without sedation but if we knew the pet was coming back soon for something like de-sexing, the vet would often recommend doing the microchip while under anaesthetic. We never sedated an animal just to microchip it though (unless it was particularly aggressive and we couldn't do it otherwise).


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Sounds like a bunch of whooey to me. I've had horses, dogs, and cats microchipped and none of them have been sedated. MowMow was done right at the shelter while I filled out the papers and Book was done before I adopted him.

If I might make a suggestion, visit these vets withOUT your animals first and discuss things like vaccinations, feeding, and any other important factors(like their opinion on raw). I usually throw in questions about declawing as well, I don't want some money grubby vet who is willing to hurt animals to make a buck so it rules them out fast, imo.

Just call around and tell the receptionist that you are looking for a new vet and want to meet with them before you bring your animals in. They shouldn't even charge you for their time.


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## yingying (Jul 19, 2011)

I got my two girls microchipped last month while they had their vaccine booster. The cat doesn't need to be sedated for sure! What the vet did is, he took a special syringe and gave the cat a shot between the shoulder blades. Then the vet just use the scanner to make sure the microchip can read. The whole process took 2 minutes for each cat. I didn't notice any discomfort of my girls. Actually they didn't bleed at all! I was surprised.

Forgot to mention I paid about 40CAD for microchip each cat.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this for my own cats. I, personally, would feel more comfortable if they sedated three of them for this. That being said I will not be putting any of my pets under just for a microchip. The next time something comes up that needs done (or I suddenly win a bazillion dollars...) they'll get it done while they're under for something else.

Doran is the only one I feel could be microchipped while alert. It just wouldn't be safe for anyone to do Jitzu while she's not sedated...giving her a normal shot is bad enough. Muffin flips out to the point of not being able to get a vaccination done at the barest touch of a needle, and Torri would be way beyond stressed out.

It's something I have to take into consideration. I've seen those needles in person and they're huge. If all of my cats were as calm about shots as Doran is, then I'd have it done in a second. But, realistically, I'll wait.


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## catinthemirror (Jun 28, 2011)

Thank you all for your input. I've never watched a cat get microchipped, so I wasn't sure... but I could feel as she was telling me all this that she wasn't being fully truthful. I tried to ask her why her policy on microchipping changed during the appointment and she told me my cats could be injured if they were microchipped when not under sedation. So, SO disappointed. Telling me that my cats could be injured from being microchipped when that's not true is just plain old manipulation. Man the more I think about this the madder I get. :-?

I know that the needle for microchipping is big and it hurts a bit, and I really wish I had just gotten it done for Moxie when she was spayed. But even still, I can't see sedating them solely for this if it only takes a couple minutes. I can completely understand why some cats ARE better off sedated of course, but mine are both very quiet when they're at the vet. They were quiet this time, so the sudden decision that they couldn't be microchipped without sedation seemed to be based on nothing. And neither of them are going under for anything else in the near future so I was hoping to make sure they would be protected in the mean time.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I wasn't in the room when my girls got microchipped, but I was sitting right outside the room. Neither girl made a peep, it took less than a minute for each one, and they were fine afterwards. Sedating a cat for a microchip is one of the most outrageous "up-charging" scams I've ever heard of. I would run, not walk, from this vet. 

Our Humane Society does this once a week (for a very small price, $20). I sat there waiting my turn while they brought cats and dogs of all sizes into the rooms. They were all done in a couple minutes, no problems at all.


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

I wonder what their reason is for insisting on sedation.

I get my kittens done while they are under being desexed but the ones I keep are awake for it at their last vaccination.


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## orrymain (Dec 9, 2011)

Orry was not sedated for his microchip appointment. All it cost was $20US. I think you should look for a new vet. My vet believes cats shouldn't be sedated unless absolutely necessary and I agree with this conclusion.


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## Ritzpg (Dec 7, 2010)

Agree with the posters; sedation is not necessary for the insertion of a microchip. Even if your cat is a terror at the vet, I think the risks of sedation outweighs the short-term fear. Frankly, I think the vet was a money-grubber, or not confident about her ability to insert a microchip easily.
BTW, did you tell your new vet that you fed your cats raw, and if so what was her reaction? That would also speak volumes. 
And how long have you beem feeding raw? Ritz is probably genetically predisposed to teeth problems; she started developing plague when she was around one year old and had gingivitus (and dental cleaning with sedation) at age two. Five months later I started feeding Ritz raw. It it took about six months for there to be a noticeable improvement; at her wellness check in March the vet said her teeth were fine, great.


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## Binkers (Mar 8, 2012)

It is true there is a small chance that an animal can be injured while being micro chipped. But it is basically the same risk as with any other injection be it abx. or immunization. If she and her staff can't give a "shot" without sedation I would question the overall competency of the clinic not to mention the money grubbing. In fact "risk vs benefit" would dictate there is far more risk with the sedation. I would seek out another vet and ask at the time I called if they micro chip w/out sedation. GL b


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## seattlecoon (Mar 2, 2012)

I watched my late great Maine **** Maeve get chipped when she was a kitten and she gave no indication she had even felt it. Now I have to bring my new cat in to get chipped.


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## Mimosa (Dec 2, 2010)

I get all the fosters microchipped without sedation and most of them don't even give a peep. In young kittens the skin is still very supple and it's less painful to chip them. It can hurt a bit more for adult cats but sedation just for microchipping is terrible overkill IMO.


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## Zephyriddle (Mar 28, 2012)

I've never had a cat chipped, but my dane was chipped when he was under for his ear crop at 9 weeks old. The chip actually came out and they redid it at 11 weeks and he screamed bloody murder, that was worse than any recovery from his crop.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

If your dog screamed, they either gave him the shot wrong or he just didn't like being there.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

I watched both my cats microchipped at about 6 mos. of age. I didn't have to restrain them, nor did the vet. The vet just pinched up the skin and neither one of the cats flinched at all. It was over in seconds, Then he checked that it was readable. Really, the skin on the back of the neck near the shoulder blades is not that sensitive. I've never heard of sedation equired to do this, maybe if the cat is really a hellion? I dunno, if your cats are well behaved, just sound like a money grab to me. I would be looking for another vet.


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## KittehLuv'n (Feb 19, 2011)

WOW- I totally think that vet is just out for your money.
I have microchipped many, many cats and dogs. The majority of them do not even flinch.
It is a very quick procedure- very similar to an injection of vaccine, but quicker and with a larger needle.
I could understand a vet saying they would do it under sedation if the animal was already going to be under for something, but as someone else mentioned- sedation should be used as rarely as possible. Really- in a person, a TB shot is quite painful, but you certainly do not need sedation for it, heck, you don't even need the area numbed. Same type thing.


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## Zoe1993 (Mar 12, 2012)

Cats do not need to be sedated while having their microchip unless they have a ferrel side to them! Do not take that from the Vet, they're probably ripping you off by the sounds of it. Although it makes sense to microchip them under sedation whilst having their teeth done..but you didnt want their teeth done did you? 8O


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## catinthemirror (Jun 28, 2011)

Yeah, I feel very strongly that the insistence on sedating my cats for their microchips was motivated by money. The cost for sedation, boarding, and the microchip was almost triple what I was quoted when I made the appointment. $55 per cat originally, bumped up to $130 per cat!!

I don't want to have to put them through any unnecessary pain and if I felt it was better for them to be sedated I would save up for that, but a few seconds with a big needle sounds much less stressful than the whole process of sedation and recovery. If I was a cat that's what I'd prefer. 

I've had some bad luck with vets who are really only out for my money. But this clinic was definitely the worst I've ever been to. I will NOT be going back. And thank you all for your experiences, now I feel much more confident about getting my cats microchipped elsewhere.

Ritzpg: I didn't mention that my cats were fed raw. I was planning to bring up raw as a concept during the appointment and see what she had to say (if she was against raw I didn't want to whole visit to be about that), but things went south before I could. My cats have been on raw for 8 months now! The past couple of months I've seen Sassy's front teeth go from yellowish to white, so I know there has been some improvement already. I know Sassy's other teeth have a lot more plaque however - 12 years of poor quality kibble will do that  I want to give it a bit more time for the raw to work before I decide to put her under for a teeth cleaning though, since she is an older cat and I know the whole process will be very stressful for her.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

I was in the room when Lacey was chipped at 6 months. She didn't make a sound or squirm. It was over in less than a minute. Sedation is not only risky, but unnecessary. I agree with everyone else this is a money making scam...sorry to hear you got such a bad deal!


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## Ritzpg (Dec 7, 2010)

@Catinthemirrow: My vet knew I was feeding raw in late October when I had to take her in for a UTI. He just kind of raised his eyebrows and shrugged. 
I took Ritz in for a wellness check (and rabies shot) in late February. When the vet remarked how wonderfully silky her fur coat was, I just said "that's raw feeding for you". I later asked the vet what her teeth looked like and he said, fine, no gingivitus. I said "thank goodness for raw feeding and bone cause no way could I brush Ritz's teeth". I do understand the reluctance to mention raw feeding to your vet (new or old) because some vets have a vested interest (literally) in dry food. But it's kind of like a policy of attraction not promotion; the results speak for themselves.
In the process of finding a new vet I would ask "what is your opinion about raw feeding". I asked one vet that (over the telephone) and he said he would not recommend raw feeding. Crossed him off the list, fast.


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