View Full Version : Dog Tattooing
I have a man from the National Dog Tattoo Register coming up from Inverness to tattoo my dogs on 8th March (provisional)
If anyone else is interested in getting their dog/s done please get in touch as we could possibly arrange to fit in a couple more dogs. It will take place in the Halkirk area and will cost between £20 - £25 per dog.
Call me on 01847 831083 if interested.
why would you tattoo your dogs?
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im confused:confused
porshiepoo
16-Feb-08, 10:28
:lol::lol:
It's just a form of permanent identification. It takes seconds to do and the dogs don't even have to be sedated.
It's done inside the ear and then they're registered with a database.
:lol::lol:
It's just a form of permanent identification. It takes seconds to do and the dogs don't even have to be sedated.
It's done inside the ear and then they're registered with a database.
haha ok then
was worried there!
the dogs don't even have to be sedated.
Ha ha my dog needs sedated to get her toenails clipped so not much hope of a tattoo [lol]
As porshiepoo said its a means of identification. I dont want to microchip as I have known quite a few dogs whose chips have moved.
As I am moving abroad the last thing I want is to get to customs and them not be able to locate the chip.
Also there are some recent studies showing 2 - 10% of the rats and dogs used in the studies developed a malignant sarcoma around the microchip.
with rabbits we ring them when young but they tattoo overseas.
In germany it is standard practice to tattoo their dogs Either in the ears, or inside of their back legs..
I know this might sound strange from someone who has tatts herself but i think it cruel.A dog gets no choise in this and i dont see it as being fair in putting a dog through this....
porshiepoo
16-Feb-08, 16:16
In germany it is standard practice to tattoo their dogs Either in the ears, or inside of their back legs..
I know this might sound strange from someone who has tatts herself but i think it cruel.A dog gets no choise in this and i dont see it as being fair in putting a dog through this....
Unfortunately these days it's a necessary evil. We have to have a permanent means of dog identification, as far as I'm concerned it should be a law that we do so.
When you take a dog to the vets for its injections, boosters, or for any other treatment, the dog doesn't get a choice either. It may be painful and upsetting but if you know it's for the best interests of the dog you know you have to do it. Pet ID is no different. It takes seconds (it's not the same process as you would have gone through) and is a means of permanently tracking that animal.
My dogs have all been done through the microchip and luckily I haven't had any move so far. Yes, a couple of the dogs may have had a moments sting but I'm safe in the knowledge that my dog can be traced back to me if he's lost or stolen. :)
[quote=porshiepoo;340389]Unfortunately these days it's a necessary evil. We have to have a permanent means of dog identification, as far as I'm concerned it should be a law that we do so.
When you take a dog to the vets for its injections, boosters, or for any other treatment, the dog doesn't get a choice either. It may be painful and upsetting but if you know it's for the best interests of the dog you know you have to do it. Pet ID is no different. It takes seconds (it's not the same process as you would have gone through) and is a means of permanently tracking that animal.
My dogs have all been done through the microchip and luckily I haven't had any move so far. Yes, a couple of the dogs may have had a moments sting but I'm safe in the knowledge that my dog can be traced back to me if he's lost or stolen. :)[/quoteBoth my dogs are chipped. Like you say it is a mater of second, but a tattoo takes longer to do..Tattoos also fade after time, just like the microchip can shift...As far as i know microchipping is the only irreversable method of dog id...
I saw too many dogs in germany and there owners mentioned it was terrible seeing their dogs go through this.....
Justine, I can understand how you might think tattoing may be cruel but it does only take a few seconds as it is done with a gun and should not hurt anymore than getting a microchip implanted, I have copied this information from an american tatto register website to explain why it is not the same as human tattoos:
"PET TATTOOS DO NOT HURT
Pet tattoos are not like human tattoos, because there are distinct dimensional differences between the structures of human and animal skin. The epidermis, or top layer of skin, on a human is much thicker, and the lower skin layers are more uneven than the layers of canine or feline skin. The epidermis is the layer of skin that dries up and flakes off, so to tattoo effectively, the ink must be inserted just below it. On humans, the tattoo must go much deeper into the skin, because of the thickness and uneven shape of the epidermis. Canine and feline epidermis is much thinner and is very regular and even. As a result, the tattoo does not need to penetrate as deeply into the skin."
I had a litter of puppies microchipped and every one squealed so its not entirely painless so I think we just have to accept that for the good of our dogs they may have to go through a minimal amount of pain to be permanently identified.
I took a dog out to Sweden last year and she was chipped only 3 days before leaving. When I got to customs in Norway they couldnt find her chip and I was in a panic! After 15 minutes of searching it was eventually found but not where it had been implanted so it didnt take long to migrate. If they hadnt found it I would have been in trouble as she couldnt go on to Sweden, nor stay in Norway and if I took her back to the UK she would have to have 6 months quarintine so I hope you can understand why I think tattooing is the only way to go this time.
If done correctly a tattoo IS permanent, virtually painless and also easily visible to would be thieves so works well as a detterent without the risks of a chip.
I forgot to metion in my last post that where the tatto is done may make a big difference. In the UK it is done with a gun inside the ear. I know in the Sates they do it inside the thigh which means the dogs have to be held down while the numbers are individually written on with a pen. This obviously takes a lot longer and a lot of dogs would get quite distressed being pinned down for several minutes even if the actual tattooing was not painful.
Perhaps that is the way it is done in Germany hence the bad reports?
I forgot to metion in my last post that where the tatto is done may make a big difference. In the UK it is done with a gun inside the ear. I know in the Sates they do it inside the thigh which means the dogs have to be held down while the numbers are individually written on with a pen. This obviously takes a lot longer and a lot of dogs would get quite distressed being pinned down for several minutes even if the actual tattooing was not painful.
Perhaps that is the way it is done in Germany hence the bad reports?
I lived there for 18 yrs and had three dogs done.It was horrendous...
I do prefer the microchip,but then a tattoo is easier to see.Our pup has a tag saying i am chipped. also a tag with our number on it and a pet protect tag where he is in the national data base.If he goes missing then they can let us know if any one has found him.So hopefully my dogs are covered and have enough tags to put people of taking them............Talk about over protection.........but thats what it takes these days....
Yes it is sad that we have to go to such lengths to keep our dogs safe. Do you mind saying how your dogs were tattooed, was it with a gun or a pen and whereabouts on the body as I would be interested to know?
I had my horse freeze marked and never again as it was 4 letters held on for a minute each time. I also had Exmoor ponies who had been hot branded (before I got them) as at that time it had to be done for the stud book. People were saying how cruel hot branding was but after I saw it being done myself it was much kinder than freeze marking and much less painful, over in about 5 seconds and the foals seemd to forget it had been done immediately whereas my boy will still freak out if a vet goes near his neck 15 years on!
Yes it is sad that we have to go to such lengths to keep our dogs safe. Do you mind saying how your dogs were tattooed, was it with a gun or a pen and whereabouts on the body as I would be interested to know?
I had my horse freeze marked and never again as it was 4 letters held on for a minute each time. I also had Exmoor ponies who had been hot branded (before I got them) as at that time it had to be done for the stud book. People were saying how cruel hot branding was but after I saw it being done myself it was much kinder than freeze marking and much less painful, over in about 5 seconds and the foals seemd to forget it had been done immediately whereas my boy will still freak out if a vet goes near his neck 15 years on!
All three were done with a gun..Toby and pip(yorkshire terriers)were done in the ear and Rocky(st bernard) was done in ear and inside of the leg.Took about 5 mins for the smaller dogs and if i remember about 10-15 to do rocky.He never liked the vet after that...I know that it is the law but i hope that it has been changed now..I know i should not say this but it is like seeing what the poor Jewish people had to go through......I know that i will never put my dogs through that now..I will stick with the chip and the tags..But then i keep my dogs in, they are not alowed to roam the streets
Unless Bingo the big dog decides that he is gonna go over the wall, which he can do pretty well.Although he does come back when called.....
I would be more worried about Tank as he is a staffie, but i wont be letting him out of my sight so no-one will have the chance to pinch him.......
Sounds horrible if it took 5 - 15 minutes to do your dogs so I can understand why you would not put them through that again! I certainly would not want to put my dogs through such an experience either.
I can however reassure people that in the UK it only takes 1 - 2 SECONDS to do the tattoo. I have many friends with Labs who have had their dogs done and they all said dogs yelped for a second (like you have trod on their foot) but instantly recovered. Some dogs did not even seem to notice any discomfort at all.
Quite a few of these people had already microchipped their dogs and said that it seemed actually more painful to the dog (chipping), so probably not much to choose between the two procedures.
I just like the fact that it is visible to the naked eye so no doubt that the dog belongs to someone which would certainly put thieves off. Out of interest a tattoo is considered legal proof of ownership of the dog whereas a microchip is not.
If you do travel with your dogs abroad and want to re-enter the UK, the only way you can do this is when they are microchipped, tattoos are not recognised under the pets travel scheme, so it would be utterly useless for us.
In Germany you can choose weather you want tattoos or chips, but now vets generally recommend the animals to be microchipped.
If you do travel with your dogs abroad and want to re-enter the UK, the only way you can do this is when they are microchipped, tattoos are not recognised under the pets travel scheme, so it would be utterly useless for us.
In Germany you can choose weather you want tattoos or chips, but now vets generally recommend the animals to be microchipped.
I am glad that they have changed it then.I was the from 1982-1997 so i assume that the vets have changed things...
I also thought that if you want to bring your pet across waters you also need a pet passport..My mother has two dogs that came back with her and they both have passports...
I am glad that they have changed it then.I was the from 1982-1997 so i assume that the vets have changed things...
I also thought that if you want to bring your pet across waters you also need a pet passport..My mother has two dogs that came back with her and they both have passports...
Oh yes, they do need passports, rabies inocculation (6 months prior to re-entry) and microchips to be allowed to re-enter. Also worm treatment 48 hr prior to entry in UK.
We have never had a dog checked for "ID" when we went out of the UK though, nor do they check "ID" between crossing borders to Holland, France, Belgium, Austria, Italy or Germany so far at least ;)
Oh yes, they do need passports, rabies inocculation (6 months prior to re-entry) and microchips to be allowed to re-enter. Also worm treatment 48 hr prior to entry in UK.
We have never had a dog checked for "ID" when we went out of the UK though, nor do they check "ID" between crossing borders to Holland, France, Belgium, Austria, Italy or Germany so far at least ;)
Can well believe that.Travelling through belgium holland france and germany was never stopped at any of the borders, in fact most of the time there was nobody on the border checkpoints.....Could smuggle anything through there if they wanted......
crustyroll
17-Feb-08, 23:15
I have two of my dogs chipped and I know from the howl and the body language that they found the process quite painful. One dog bled for a wee while but the other was fine within 5 minutes and seemed to forget all about the chip. However, I wont be getting the others chipped and am going to opt for the tattoo. My reasons for this, well as Labsrus has said:-
I don't wan't the risk of the chip migrating and ended up somewhere dangerous or having surgery to remove a faulty chip. I also don't want to risk taking my dog out of the country only to have the chip fail on return. It was only last year that it was on the national news of the family having to leave their dog behind as his chip failed. Either form of identification will be painful for however many seconds, but how many people out there know that there are several differents kinds of microchips and not all vets, dog wardens, rescue centres carry readers that can scan all types of chips. So someone moving to the area could have a totally different brand of chip and no scanners up here can read it? If the dog were ever to get out and become lost and then scanned by the dog warden or vet, they are going to incorretly assume that it's not chipped and not find the owners!
There will probably be thousands of dogs out there with no problems whatsoever with their chips but I am making the choice for my dogs to try what seems to be the least 'invasive' form of identification, as with the best will in the world, there will always be that one time they get out.
I also don't want to risk taking my dog out of the country only to have the chip fail on return. It was only last year that it was on the national news of the family having to leave their dog behind as his chip failed.
Whitout a chip you can not return your dog into th UK anyway, no matter how many tattoos its got;)
We dont feel that we are taking a "risk" when we take our dogs on holiday as we get them checked before we leave home, and 48 hrs the dogs have to be seen by a vet anyway to administer the worm treatment so the chip is always gettig checked there again.
We have had their chips checked in 4 different countries and there was never a problem with the identification of the chip. It only took about a minute to find it in Germany as there they chip the dogs in a different place than here.The vet did not find it in the first go as she tought its somewhere else.:eek:
I have a man from the National Dog Tattoo Register coming up from Inverness to tattoo my dogs on 8th March (provisional)
If anyone else is interested in getting their dog/s done please get in touch as we could possibly arrange to fit in a couple more dogs. It will take place in the Halkirk area and will cost between £20 - £25 per dog.
Count me in, after my pair going AWOL the other week I think the time has come to give them some permanent identification.
Hi Julia, got your two on the list now, hopefully they wont go on another walkabout but better safe than sorry! The date has been set now for Sunday 9th March between 11 - 12noon but will be in touch before then to confirm.
Is the tattoo mannie still coming?
Yes Gary.B still coming on 9th March, let me know if you are needing any dogs done and will see if he can fit you in.
Raven your absolutly right with microchips nothing else goes you stand no chance of getting your dog back into UK without the passport and docs. I had to call off a trip last year due to a mishap with my vet and my failing to realise what had happened, due to an op an the dogs leg the vet had not administered his regular rabies shot till 4 days too late on no account was I allowed into UK and I had to start the rabies check from scratch what a bore but it is right and sensible.
my jackrussel is now 11 and has been chipped for 7 years there was no problem by insertion and the the chip is still in the same place and is checked at ever vet meeting ( the dog doesn`t like the vet)
As porshiepoo said its a means of identification. I dont want to microchip as I have known quite a few dogs whose chips have moved.
As I am moving abroad the last thing I want is to get to customs and them not be able to locate the chip.
Also there are some recent studies showing 2 - 10% of the rats and dogs used in the studies developed a malignant sarcoma around the microchip.
eeek dont say that we just got our dog microchiped :(
If you are going abroad with your Pets then you should read this site
An: pets@ahvg.maff.gov.uk
Betreff: petscheme
or
You can get more information about PETS and quarantine by contacting Defra: Pet Travel Scheme Helpline
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 201
1a Page Street,
London
SW1P 4PQ
Telephone: +44 (0)870 241 1710
(Monday to Friday - 8.30am to 5pm UK time. If you cannot get through, please leave a message on the voice mail)
Fax: +44 (0)20 7904 6206
E-mail: pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
hope it helps
Sorry spiggie, didnt mean to panic anyone but just thought with so many dogs dying young these days with cancer it was info dog lovers should be aware of.
I have had dogs chipped in the past but am no longer happy to do so in light of this research. If it means I cant travel abroad and return to the UK thats fine with me as I would rather have healthy dogs and miss out on the holidays.
I am moving abroad permanently hence why I dont need a microchip as I will not be coming back to the UK. I also wouldnt move to a country that required the rabies vaccine as it can have very serious adverse reations but that's another story.
Here is a link to a website about someone who lost their dog to cancer through either a microchip or rabies vaccine induced tumour, it has links to some of the research on microchip sarcomas : http://www.noble-leon.com/introduction/
In my opinion much more longterm research is needed in this area but of course the companies selling the chips wont want to fund this research as they would lose out big time if it became common knowledge!
With dogs that are already chipped the most sensible thing is to keep a close eye on the area and any swelling should be immediately checked out by your vet.
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