Has anyone microchipped their bunny?

[SophieBun]

I was curious and started researching and it said you can actually microchip a bun. I think it would be great for outdoor buns if they get lost, or if someone steals it ( I don’t even wanna think about that one), or I would put it to the babies so if someone dumps them I can know and rescue them? Idk if that’s legal though since they’re not gonna be mine anymore Anyway, has anyone taken their buns to be microchipped?

[Sarita]

I’ve spoken to my vet about this and she said she has not done but she does not see why it cannot be done. She says if they are indoors only which most of hers are then she doesn’t see a need to do it.

I actually see a need now when I hear of all the disasters that happen and animals being separated from their owners.

I’m just afraid that many shelters wouldn’t even consider checking for chips in rabbits since it’s not usual for them to have chips…I’m not saying they wouldn’t but I just don’t really think they would.

[katie, max & penny]

my vet chips buns all the time. hers are chipped- mine aren’t though. Mine are always inside so as of now i don’t see a need for it. but i know it can be done

[KatnipCrzy]

Cotton is chipped- I had her done at the time of her spay.  Schroeder was neutered by the Humane Society before I adopted him and he is not chipped- though I know they chip all dogs and cats that they adopt out.

I will chip Griffin when he is neutered.  Chips are not that expensive now- and they are so, so common now shelters/rescues and humane societies are chipping all adopted pets.  10 years ago when I worked at a shelter they were rare- now they are very common. I even chipped my parrot- to make sure I had proof of ownership if he was ever stolen.

I am not going to lie- the needle is pretty large- and it can be done when the pet is awake- but I prefer to have it done when the pet is spayed or neutered. 

My dogs are chipped, Mi Dept of Agriculture tattoo, and wear ID collars. 

I can’t imagine I would ever take my bunnies in a situation where they could get free- but a microchip is PROOF that you own the rabbit and it just might help you get your bunny back in case of disaster, break in, etc.  I have seen cases involving dog ownership where a judge needs to decide who really owns a dog- a microchip would have settled that question immediately if done by the original owner.

 

[angelicvampyre]

I know a breeder who chips all her bunnies and tells the owners to leave the details as her’s. She then has a record that if the Bunny is found they shelters contact her she can then return the bunny (however sometimes her bunnies get dumped so she does not return them). She is a vet tech so all she has to do is purchase the microchips and she does it herself so the cost is next to nothing. However it is sad as every year about 10 of her Bunnies end up in the major shelters which is pretty much one out of every litter. I think she needs to have a better screening process for owners

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Rupert came chiipped and I’m thinking of chipping the others when their annual exams come up. I’d never thought I’d bother-but natural disasters etc-it’s harmless to chip and could reunite you

[Beka27]

Posted By angelicvampyre on 10/12/2009 04:19 PM
I know a breeder who chips all her bunnies and tells the owners to leave the details as her’s. She then has a record that if the Bunny is found they shelters contact her she can then return the bunny (however sometimes her bunnies get dumped so she does not return them). She is a vet tech so all she has to do is purchase the microchips and she does it herself so the cost is next to nothing. However it is sad as every year about 10 of her Bunnies end up in the major shelters which is pretty much one out of every litter. I think she needs to have a better screening process for owners

 

WOW!!!  About 10 buns a year dumped at shelters!  I *sort of* respect her desire to keep tabs on the bunnies, but at this point, you’d really think that she would JUST STOP BREEDING.  This is solid proof that she is contributing to the problem, not alleviating it.  She could be doing so much good for rabbits at shelters if she helped to adopt out 10 a year (that were not “her own”)… instead hers just keep cycling thru. 

What a shame.

[angelicvampyre]

Beka27 I do understand where you are coming from but she is a show breeder and part of her living is made through her rabbits there is no way she will stop breeding. However she does do alot with rabbit resuce. She takes on rabbits that can not be re homed for some reason (eg they are to shy) and has mulitple pens on her property that they can live out their lives. She pretty much takes in about 15 to 20 rabbits through shelter that are not suited to indoor bunnies and gives them a home to live out their lives or fosters them untill another home can be found for them. She is also an expert bonder and last time I saw her (when i was looking at buying one of her bubs) she had this huge pen with about 15 rabbits running around in it, she has created an amazing coloney. Yes I now do not agree with the amount that she breeds however she does not just dump her rabbits in pet shops nor is she out to make a quick buck she is looking at her approval process as she is sick of having to go pick her bubs up when they are a year old and the owners are over them. Also please don’t take this as be being defesive or of approving of breeding just stating what she does

[bunnytowne]

Cotton and Ruby are both chipped.   I pay 14.00 a year to the chip people and they keep the info as does my vet.

The chip is the size of a grain of rice.  I didn’t pet them there for a while (it is put between their shoulders)  so the soreness could go away first.    Doesn’t bother them

With rabbits though if they get loose somehow some won’t let you near them sometimes and they may get killed cuz of that b4 they can be taken to the shelter or vets office.

I did mine anyway though.  You just never know.

[angelicvampyre]

bunnytowne they make you pay a yearly fee? With my cats and dogs their chips are a one off fee and then $5 to change the info. I am looking into getting my guys chipped but not sure if it is worth it as they very rarely go outside

[SophieBun]

Thank you! I definitely want to chip the babies and I’m gonna chip Soph too just in case!

[KatnipCrzy]

Some microchip companies charge a yearly “subscription fee”- but mainly in my area only the basic chips are sold- one time fee and/or possible fee to change info if you move or change owners.

Humane Societies are able to microchip very cheaply usually as they can buy in bulk and require it for all cat and dog adoptions- and offer for all lost pet claims.  So the sheer volume of animals they microchip exceeds what a vet can do- so they get a good price and they are usually nonprofit and thus tax exempt (at least in the US).

I would not hesitate to have the Humane Society chip my pets- like a dog, cat and rabbit- but when it comes to a parrot or other specialized exotic- then I would only let an exotic vet do it.   Parrots get microchipped into the breast muscle!! 

At sad as it is to say this…..when we get dead animals brought in at the clinic- we check them for a microchip- and I know the Humane Society does too- so they can notify the owner.  And I think I would rather know if something happened if they escaped- there would be some closure to stop looking and I then could make proper burial arrangements to help me with the grief.

Also an animal might get stabilizing care in case of escape and injury- but without an owners consent and agreement to pay- heroic efforts and much beyond basic care is not usually done in those cases.  The sooner an owner can be contacted- the better for the pet.

 

[BinkyBunny]

Vivian came chipped and I changed the info (paid $14). I think that is the Home Again Registration Fee.

[Chilly's Mom]

Both Dusty and Chilly came chipped for me. I have collars and tags on the girls just as a precaution. Chilly’s worn a collar since she was young and Dusty is still getting used to her collar & tag. On nice days I let them run in the backyard. One time Chilly dug her way under the fence and a neighbor picked her up, but with her collar the guy returned her to me. He told me had she not been tagged that he would have brought her home to his 2 rabbits! Chilly would have been bunny-napped! So, yes, I would recommend having them chipped, but I don’t know about the subscription. I was able to go online (Home Again) and update the information, but there wasn’t a fee. I recently brought Dusty to the vet for her check-up and the first thing the doctor did was scan her. Pretty neat!

[wendyzski]

The shelter I got Pepper from chips all their adoptees.  I had to pay a registration fee and there was a fee when I changed my address with them when I moved.

[Desma]

I have not chipped Hunny because she is indoor all the time and I didn’t think she’d need it.

[KatnipCrzy]

My local Humane Society chips for $20- and my vet clinic chips for $30- neither require any additional fees or subscriptions.  I look at it this way- if I lost my pet I would pay 10 times that fee just for them to have the microchip.  There have been stories of people getting their pets back YEARS later- and to be honest even if it was 10 years later I would still want back every pet that I own now.

I figure all the people/pets affected in New Orleans did not ever think something like that would happen- and look how many pets were displaced then.

I will get Griffin chipped when he is neutered- and if Schroeder ever goes under anesthesia I will have him done then too.

I am a big softie and prefer to have it done when they are sleeping- even though any procedure with anesthesia is costly and a chip just adds to the bill- I still prefer them to be asleep.  Though I did have my dogs chipped when speutered, and my trainer did the MI Dept of Agri tattoos- so they were awake for that and did fine.

 

[SophieBun]

I called my vet today and it costs $50 BUT they said the babies cannot be chipped until 6 months old at that time they’re probably going to be adopted and I’ll have no way to know what happens to them…

[Monkeybun]

Solution tot hat is keep em all til they are 6 months old LOL hehe

[bunnytowne]

I am with   Home Again and get a yearly fee 14.00 per bun I believe.

I changed my phone # with them and it didn’t cost anything.  Not sure about the address.  

Katnip I didn’t think about them being checked for chips if they were dead.   Good to know at least like you said we would know what happened to our dear pet.

Hmm a collar with a tag on it.  thats how the bunny was returned home.  Never thought of that.   I may get a tag and a cat breakaway collar when I bring Cotton outside.  Wouldn’t hurt and you just never know.

[TARM]

Our rescue chips all of the bunnies as they get adopted so that if an adopter attempts to dump the rabbit at a shelter later it’ll make it back to us. That’s happened more times in 10 years than I would ever imagine, especially with the fees they pay to adopt in the first place!

[Author]

Messages