Why avoid Microchips?
Horses have developed problems as a result of having microchips implanted into the nuchal ligament of the neck.
1. Foreign object: First and foremost is the fact that a microchip is a foreign object. No one should be forced or coerced to implant a foreign object in their horse.
DNA samples, Tattoos and Brandsare the best options for ID.
2. Health risks: Animals have developed infections, abscesses and lumps because of microchip implants.
http://www.invisio.nl/antichip/BriefLaarakkerenconfr.pdf
in English http://www.invisio.nl/antichip/tekstlaarakkereng.htm
Also, a pattern that has been observed in some microchipped horses is that they have difficulty bending their neck to the left. (The designated site to implant a microchip in a horse is in the nuchal ligament, on the left side of the neck).
3. Migration of implanted microchip: The microchip implant can move from the original implant site. Movement of the device within the body can cause health problems for the horse. When microchips move around in the horse’s body, it also becomes difficult to locate and, therefore, read the implant.
4. Loss of microchip implant: In addition to being “lost” within a horse’s body, a microchip implant can be expelled from a Horse's body.
5. Failure of microchip implant: For a variety of reasons, implanted microchips simply do not work.
6. Failure of electronic scanner: For a variety of reasons, scanners cannot read, or even detect, the implants all of the time.
7. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) incompatibility: One of the problems of using microchip implants with MRI machines is that the implant can impede MRI diagnostics. The authors of a Japanese study write, “There was significant signal loss and image distortion over a wide range around the area where the microchip was implanted. This change was consistent with susceptibility artifacts, which rendered the affected area including the spinal cord undiagnostic.”
8. Lifespan of the microchip: According to pet promotional literature, the microchip implant lasts the lifetime of the pet. However, it is a vague answer to a specific and important question. Human data also fails to provide a precise answer. In 2004, Angela Fulcher, vice-president for marketing and sales of VeriChip Corporation (now known as Positive ID), said, “We believe the tag [implantable microchip] can last for 20 years.” Other reports,
however, indicate that the average lifespan of a microchip implant is 10 to 15 years.
9. Temperature-Sensing microchip implant: Microchip implants that are supposed to be able to read a horse’s temperature have also been sold. However, according to promotional literature by Destron Fearing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Digital Angel Corporation, the temperature-sensing microchip implant is not accurate. In extra fine print it says:
Conclusion: The study horse’s actual temperature will be 3º higher than Bio-Thermo readings. Knowing this, the horse’s manager or veterinarian will be able to quickly and easily identify if the horse’s temperature is abnormal by adding 3º to the Bio-Thermo reading.”
This means that important health decisions could be erroneously made based on this inaccurate reading that is already known by the
manufacturer, revealed in "fine print".
Manufacturing and selling temperature-sensing microchip implants that cannot even read a horse’s temperature accurately is simply unethical. Why would anyone trust a company that operates in such an unethical manner?
10. More risks: The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also lists failure of insertion device, electromagnetic interference, compromised information security, electrical hazards and needle stick as other risks associated with microchip implant technology. Read Document Here
11. Cost: Breeders are required to have a working microchip scanner on the premises? If so, it is another $250+ investment to purchase a reader. Readers are specific to each microchip, so even if your Horse is lost, the microchip will not be readable unless the matching Microchip scanner is available to read it, and as long as the attendant can find the microchip (in case of migration).
12. Cloning microchips and the integrity of microchip numbers:
Microchip implants can be cloned, and even infected with computer
viruses and worms.
Also, a recent document by Virbac Ltd UK says there are microchips
with a prefix of 978 that are currently on the market that clients may believe are Virbac’s chips. However, the microchips do not belong to Virbac and the company says it is not liable for any problems caused by these chips.
It is also important to be aware of the fact that microchipping kits
are being sold via the internet. For example, EBay Germany sells
microchip kits. So, how are consumers supposed to know if microchip numbers are valid, if the insertion device and microchip are sterile etc …?
13. Scientific data shows that a variety of species have developed cancer because of microchip implants. we should be especially concerned about implanting a potentially carcinogenic object into our horses. (see list of studies below).
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.vetpathology.org
www.antichips.com
www.antichips.com
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
veterinaryrecord.bvapublications.com
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov or www.antichips.com
www.aipvet.it
aalas.publisher.ingentaconnect.com
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.acvp.org or vet.sagepub.com
www.eurotoxpath.org
veterinaryrecord.bvapublications.com or www.nal.usda.gov
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.sciencedirect.com
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov or www.antichips.com
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov or www.antichips.com
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
vet.sagepub.com
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov or www.antichips.com
