# Microchip Migration



## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

This is something that I have been wondering about for a while.

I was there when Magneto was microchipped. I cringed when they did it, but he didn't even seem to notice. I wasn't supposed to touch the area for two days, so I did not. When two days was up, I curiously stroked the area to see if I could feel it. I was completely new to the concept of micro-chipping, I was so pumped when they told me I got it for free from the shelter when I adopted Nito. Sure enough, I could feel it. For some reason, it was off to the left a little, felt like an uncooked grain of rice, just bigger.

As he grew, it shifted farther to the left. It is not between his shoulder blades, but off to the side ON his actual shoulder.










I'm worried that if he ever got lost, they would scan him and they might miss it and it wouldn't register. Or could it cause damage to his tissue or bone by being off to side like that? It's sort of strange to pet his shoulder and feel the tiny hard lump.

What do you guys think? I'm probably gonna ask my vet at the kitty's appointments coming up.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I was at my vet's office when a man brought a dog in to be scanned. The receptionist brought the scanner (hand-held thing) to the dog and waved it slowly all over the dog, from upper neck to mid-back and both sides of the shoulders. 
The dog was chipped and the reader caught it. They were able to contact the listed owners who were *very* happy their dog had been found. I think most office staff who operate these chip scanners know to scan a wide area, due to chip-migration. I don't think it would be anything to worry about, but certainly discuss it with your vet.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

We have to scan all our kitties at Petsmart when they're adopted, and I got to use it last time. I got it right away, but she said they'll scan until they find it because they know it can move.

The chips (Fritos) implanted in me (eaten) seem to have migrated to my bum. 8O


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

> The chips (Fritos) implanted in me (eaten) seem to have migrated to my bum.


 :lol: 

Thanks Heidi and Marie, I am so relieved  I am still going to mention it to my vet, but it doesn't seem to cause any pain or anything, so hopefully everything will be A-ok! 

Are there any stories of animals rejecting their micro-chips, or are they pretty much fool-proof?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I think if the body were going to reject it, there'd have been a problem long before now... 
My friend has a piece of an axe in her upper arm. She and her husband were chopping wood/kindling for the winter and he struck something in a piece of wood (_embedded wire or nail_?) and a chip/flake of the axe blade flew and struck her in the arm. They went to the ER and they did not remove it. (_I was VERY surprised about that_!) They were told that her body would grow scar/connective tissue around the foreign body to 'encapsulate' it and it would just always be carried there, though they were told it could migrate once it was encapsulated. I've read stories of men injured in wars, like in their shoulder and years later (_MANY years, like more than 20/30_) they will have it just under the skin of their hip or lower back and out will come that little piece of shrapnel... My husband had a piece of slag (_hot metal from welding_) come out of his shoulder/back, and the last time he'd welded was probably 7+yrs before that little bead of metal came out and he'd been carrying it all that time.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Oh wow! My dad had a piece of glass in his hand that was there for a while. Months later, it began to irritate him because it was so sharp so he dug it out :yikes


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Great. Googley. Moogley! _I just had a chill-shudder wrack through me_ imagining your dad cutting out that piece of glass! Ah-ah-ah-ah-haaah! _Hoogity-boogety man, that's some serious Heebie-Jeebies!_


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

Yup, most everyone with a scanner will go over the entire body a couple of times before they give up. Its pretty common for them to migrate a little, sometimes as much as going to the side of a shoulder. That's about as far as I've seen.

I have only seen ONE *possible* problem with a microchip - we had a boston terrier come in a couple of weeks ago with a really big lump on his back. I wasn't dealing with him but did come over to watch as it got more interesting. I think I'd say the lump was somewhere between the size of a golf ball and tennis ball. They were thinking it was an abscess, and I believe it did drain a good bit of fluid but they also saw what appeared to be a piece of plastic come out. It looked like it would have been the casing of the microchip. Took an x-ray and you could see the chip in that general area but hard to say how close. I think they scanned it and the chip did not read.

I don't really know how it turned out though. I think they were going on the hunch that somehow they chip started to deteriorate... could have been the body rejecting it. I don't know if it was the cause of the big fluid filled lump or what. I'll see if I can find out more about it tomorrow night at work.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Could a blow/injury damage the chips?


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

Ahh, Jessie! That is the kind of situation I'm worried about! But there have never been any problems, I don't think Nito feels it at all so I'm thinking things are alright.


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