Microchipping?

[Happy Hollands]

I've been reading old (like... 5 - 10 years old) RabbitsOnline posts regarding microchipping rabbits before they leave your rabbitry so you always have a way to track them down and make sure they do not end up in shelters. I find this quite fascinating, but personally have not looked into it too much.

Does anybody have experience with microchipping young bunnies? Is it something you can do yourself at home if comfortable, or should it be done by a vet? if so, what is the best procedure to go about this, and what tools are needed? Does anybody personally have (or know of) a rabbit that is microchipped?

Again, I'm just curious and it's more of an idea not so much something I want to do tomorrow Thank you for reading!

 

[majorv]

Actually, I don’t know of any breeders who microchip. If you were selling for pet you could, but once the person buys the rabbit and they update the contact information through the tracking organization you would not normally be notified, so not sure it would help you. As far as I know you would need to get a vet to insert the microchip.

 

[Mehidk]

It is best to get it done by a vet.

 

[Happy Hollands]

Is there any risk involved, such as the body rejecting the foreign item?

 

[Mehidk]

Is there any risk involved, such as the body rejecting the foreign item?

Absolutely. Think about it as if you're piercing your ears or even a tattoo. If you do it yourself, you run the risk of an infection if something goes wrong (wrong placement, not sterilizing things properly, etc). In your case of your rabbit, you would end up having to go to the vet anyways and have to pay an extra amount of money for not only clearing the infection but also paying to properly get microchipped. Best to get it done correctly the first time. With times like these, I understand money is tight for a lot of people but there are rescues or rabbit savvy vets who I'm sure can help at low-cost or monthly payments.

 

[Aspen’sbuns]

Hey, if it helps, all three of my bunnies are microchipped!

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

You should probably see what House Rabbit Society
does what they’re adoption procedure is to make sure the bun goes to caring people

 

[Mac189]

While I think microchipping is awesome, it certainly something I wouldn't have done at home, or frankly, on a non sedated rabbit. Foxwell is chipped and I wish I'd thought to have it done when Willa was sedated for her spay, although the ship is sailed now.
It's pretty inexpensive to get the procedure done by a vet, so that's definately the avenue I would take. The size of the needle they use to insert the microchip is not for the faint of heart and I don't think inserting such an instrument into a conscious rabbit is ideal for building trust. Despite this, microchipping is a wonderful way to get some piece of mind, although don't forget, it's useless unless registered!