Microchips causing cancer?

Shanao

So has anyone else heard this theory?

mymo

No, not heard that one.
Have heard that giving cat vacc's yearly in same place is supposed to be a higher risk.
I would always be very careful of the source of this info, my vet explained about the cats when doing mine.

star-pants

Not heard this theory either, any info to elaborate on?

Discodog

This is nothing new & there seems to be no study evidence to back it. I suspect that any risk is far outweighed by the benefits. But I have heard that some sporting organisations that do not want microchipping have seized on this.

Excellent info here & from a reliable source. Scroll down the page:

http://caninecancerblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/link-between-microchips-implanted-in.html

mymo

Hey! Starpants is back!:):):)
Congrats, sorry for going off topic.

Just read that article, not sure I'd see it as that much of a risk to be honest, they CAN cause inflammation? so can many things even a bump, I'd rather have the chip than not.

star-pants

It is interesting to read, but I guess as said, you have to weigh up the risks and the benefits.

Shanao

Apparently theyh did a study using rats and mice as subjects and I think it was something like 80% of them developed tumours either on or around the spot the mirochip was inserted into .TBH, i think its a loada BS but someone said it to me today that they refuse to have their dog microchipped because of the risk.

ISDW

Shanao wrote: »

Apparently theyh did a study using rats and mice as subjects and I think it was something like 80% of them developed tumours either on or around the spot the mirochip was inserted into .TBH, i think its a loada BS but someone said it to me today that they refuse to have their dog microchipped because of the risk.

Thats a real shame if its going to stop people chipping. I wonder though if it has anything to do with the size of the chip? Small in relation to a dog, but it would be huge to a rat or mouse.

Zapperzy

Interesting but I think the benefits still far outways the risk. That article DD posted is interesting but according to it no actual research has ever been done it was only noticed while doing another study that 80% of the lab rats and mice were getting cancer at the microchip site, hardly a fair experiment.

Does anyone here actually know of or heard of any dog, cat or any animal for that matter getting cancer at the microchip implant site? Yet how many people have heard of animals missing sometimes for months being returned because of the microchip?

Vaccines though I think are a whole different kettle of fish, too lazy to go googling for links now as I'm heading to bed soon but there has been quite a number of risks associated with them and questions raised as to how effective the annual boosters actually are.

carwash_2006

Rats are very high risk for cancer anyway, it's all part of the high adaptability of the animal. A higher mutation rate means greater adaptability, but also higher risks of cancer. Humans would be higher in this risk also.

Because of this I would not have any faith in a study for something like this that was based purely on rats and mice.

I also think that even if there is a slightly higher risk, the benefits far outweigh any real risk. 80% would have to be way over the odds or we would be hearing of massive cases of tumours in pet animals at this stage.

Vaccination is a whole other kettle of fish and it's more the question of whether it needs to be done as regularly as is being advocated in this country than whether it should be done at all that should be looked at. Again, no doubt that in the greater population widespread vaccination is a fantastic thing, but the benefits of the current frequency really should be looked at more closely.

lrushe

ISDW wrote: »

I wonder though if it has anything to do with the size of the chip? Small in relation to a dog, but it would be huge to a rat or mouse.

My Chihuahua is little bigger than rat size, she's microchipped and absolutely fine, I did have to wait until she was 6 months old to have her chipped because she was so small but she's had no adverse effects from it.
If you look hard enough just about everything gives you cancer, it's all about weighing up risks and I think in this case the good far outweighs the bad.