Thursday, August 2, 2012

Bionic Puppy

Lately Milton seems to have more appointments than I do - parvo shot, rabies shot, and now microchipping.  It takes a lot to keep this goldendoodle boy up to snuff!  Basically, Jeff and I decided to take the microchip plunge, so we could ensure the Milt's safety.  When you love your dog an awful lot AND you paid an awful lot of money for that dog, you want to make certain that you can keep close tabs on his whereabouts at all times.

To be frank, I originally did not grasp the total concept of microchipping.  I thought that once Milton was microchipped, we could dial into a computer and, <beep, beep, beep> tell if he was sitting in the far right corner of our living room, or if instead he was walking outside in the northeast section of the parking lot.  This is not exactly how it works.

To further explain, a microchip is a miniscule implant about the size of a grain of rice.  See the below picture courtesy of Google images (I forgot to snap one of my own).

Pretty tiny, huh?

The chip is inserted via needle into either the dog's left or right shoulder skin.  (This tracking device is also used for cats, horses, etc.)  It is quick, painless, and over in seconds.  Once implanted, the chip can be an indispensible aide in returning a wayward dog to his or her owner. 

This is how it works - hopefully the good people that find your lost pooch notice his microchip ID tag, worn on the collar, and call the company number, convey that animal's specific ID number, to garner your contact information.  If this tag were to fall off, a veterinary office or local animal shelter could scan the pet to see if a microchip is indeed implanted to lead to your information and ultimate retrieval of your pet.

Prepping Milton for the brief stick

Multiple people recommended that we get the implant at the SPCA because this benevolent organization is a worthy cause to support, and it is such an easy, in-and-out procedure (no anesthesia necessary).  The shot was performed by a veterinary technician, and it only cost $25, no exam fee, which was well-worth it.  The way I figure is, if we bought Milton from a breeder, which does not help the overall pet population, we can still assist stray dogs and cats in other ways. 

Taking the shot like a man, Quick scan

Believe me, Jeff and I don't think the Milt will ever willingly decide to beat it out of here for a couple of weeks. He could; however, exhibit "selective hearing" when we call his name to come or he might decide to explore when we stop at a gas station on a road trip...   Now we can rest easy that our precious goldendoodle will always be easily located wherever he may roam.

Trackable Milton


8 comments:

  1. I also thought microchips worked the way you first explained... I was saddened when my vet explained the truth :) I'm sure though that someone will come up with a little GPS microchip soon though :)

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    1. I thought so too Rhoton.

      Garmin has a GPS dog collar, but they are still a little expensive for a pup that hasn't shown a propensity to run.

      Love the pics!

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  2. Hey--I saw one of your posts over on Doodle Kisses and realized you must be the same Heidi and Milton from my apartment complex! Your blog is so fun, and hopefully I'll run into you and Milt again soon!

    P.S. Leo wasn't tolerating the Kirkland puppy food very well, so I'm in the process of transitioning him to something else. This means I have 2 unopened 20-lb bags and most of an open bag in Tupperware if you are in need of any for Milton!
    -Lindsay

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    1. Hey Lindsay!

      My husband, Jeff, and I have been dying to visit your new little puppy! Are you around this weekend? I would love to set up a playdate! Let me know which day and time work for you, and we will stop by since you don't know my apartment address.

      As for the food, YES, we will buy it from you! Actually just this morning, we were emailing one of our Costco friends to try to secure a gift card for Milt. We are getting quite low...

      Thanks so much for checking out my blog!

      Heidi

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    2. A playdate sounds great! Anytime after 2 on Saturday would work, or Sunday am or after 4:30.

      Feel free to stop by sooner if you run out of food!

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  3. Wow, I had no idea doodle pups sat still! Milt looks so handsome, too. It's a shame that they scan our pets kinda like they do our groceries. Good thing they're so cute!

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  4. Hey! How about 11A.M. on Sunday we will stop by? Does that work for you? Saturday is a bit busy for us, and we have mass at 5:30P.M. on Sunday. Let me know! The food situation should hold out until then, thankfully...!

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