Animal Antics

Community Leader Clauds is not only the proud owner of a 'home zoo' but also an opinionated animal lover. In her blog she will be telling you all about her menagerie of furry creatures and sharing her views on the latest animal news.

Dognapping and microchipping

By Clauds on 13 Feb 2013 No comments Dognapping and microchipping

Here in West Sussex, there have been an increasing number of dog thefts over recent weeks; Hampshire seems to be another hotspot. I’m sure it more widespread than the south coast, but dog knapping is definitely on the rise.

A recent news article stated that Cocker Spaniel thefts have risen due to the ‘Kate Middleton Effect’ – the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge bought a black Cocker Spaniel last year and demand for the breed has risen, causing prices to rise to around £600 per dog. They are often stolen and sold on for around £300.

The recent announcement that all dogs must be microchipped by 6 April 2016 has been welcomed by nearly all charities, dog lovers and breeders; but will it help? I think it will in some ways, but I don’t think it’s enough. I don’t have the answer either, unfortunately. At least it will reunite more pets with their owners when beloved pets escape, but I don’t think it will deter thieves. Even with a microchip, they can still be stolen and sold on to an unsuspecting member of the public. The new owners wouldn’t know anything about the dog being stolen unless they had them scanned, which I doubt anyone would think of.

My beautiful Oaki hasn’t been microchipped; it simply wasn’t a common thing to do 10 years ago. I have to be honest, the thought of that great needle going into my dog’s neck scares me. With the cats, I generally wait until they’re spayed or neutered and have the chip implanted whilst they’re asleep. Had this ruling been made a couple of weeks earlier, I could have had Oaki done when she was under anaesthetic.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Oaki has been suffering with bladder stones. She had to have an ultrasound scan (around £350-£400) to confirm the presence of stones. She then had to have an operation, as the stones were too large for her to pass naturally. The poor little mite came through okay, although she did have to spend a night in hospital as she wouldn’t eat. She’s now on a diet of roast chicken until the stones have been analysed.

All in all, I think we’ve spent about £1,350 on her in the last month or so. We’re waiting to hear from the insurance company as to whether they’ll pay for some of the treatment; it’s a tense time.

Having moaned about the cost, I would pay for it all over again just to have her free from pain. She whimpered for days afterwards instead of barking – it was heartbreaking – but she’s in fine form now, and her scar has healed nicely; I can finally kiss her sweet, pink belly again.

I can’t stress enough how important pet insurance is. You just never know when your pet will need veterinary treatment, which certainly doesn’t come cheap. Growing up, my parents never bothered with insurance, as my father earned enough not to worry too much about the cost of treatments, but as soon as I got my own dog, I invested in insurance, just to be on the safe side. Thanks goodness I did.