Tattoo In The Ear, After Desexing.

[Tokkie]

Nandi is getting desexed the 30th of September, tattoos are standard with the desexing.... how important is it to tattoo her ears (she is microchipped as well).

I must say I don't like the idea that much.....

Ringo's ears are tattooed but you can't see it when his ears flops back... I'm afraid her ears are still too small and they will tattoo them closer to the edge... does that make sense?

[W Sibs]

Is it a standard? Or is that a state/territory thing?

Neither Charlie or Emmy got tattooed on their ear when they got desexed (I think the boyfriend will be annoyed if they got tattoo without his permission).

Edited September 22, 2010 by CW EW

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

i have a boston terrier with upright ears and i dont like the tattoo so i told the vet not to do it.

i also wrote it on the forms i filled out whenshe was being desexed

[jazawayaya]

Banjo has one in his ear but I cant even see it... I dont think it would be that hard to tell whether a boy dog has been desexed though lol

For a female I guess if she was ever lost or something people are able to tell easily whether she has been desexed if they cant see a scar etc

I'm not sure if they put infomation like desexed on microchip- if they do im sure thats fine.

[Bow Wowy]

As of last year in QLD we legally have to tattoo everything we desex now (cat & dog). It used to be optional, but I think the new law came in around the time of the new microchipping laws (July? last year). Don't know about other states though.

[quoll]

This is a standrad practice in Tasmania and I find it to be extremely valuable. At a glance a vet or animal worker knows the animal has been desexed and most likely "belongs " to someone somewhere.

In the event of the pet been in a shelter this may save it's life already desexed, or in on some occasion a vet operating to desex only to find it has already been done.

The tatoos do fade they are not obvious they do not alter the look of the animal, unlike of the tatoos you see on humans.

[aussielover]

I've not seen that done where I work.

Though in one of the vets i did work expereince, i remember them doing that.

[oakway]

Well it does save the animal from being opened up to be desexed again if it is a bitch.

Many bitch have had this happen if in a rescue situation and there is NO tattoo.

[stormie]

We used to do it routinely at our last clinic but don't here, but then all animals are microchipped so the desexing status ends up on the registration details.

You should be able to ask them simply not to do it

[Tokkie]

I don't think its law in South Australia... it's just something that the vet does when desexing... they did say if I don't want it to be done I should write it on the forms.

If they scan her microchip they will find me, so it wont matter if they know that she is desexed or not......??

Can the macrochip get 'lost'...??

Edited September 22, 2010 by Tokkie

[ness]

My 10 year old got a microchipping tattoo done after she was desexed (she was chipped at the same time) but no desexing tattoo. When my younger one was desexed I requested no tattoo's - just a personal thing you can't really see them in the hairy ears of a BC anyway.

If I was going to get anything it would be a microhipping tattoo - especially in light of the fact that microchips can move. At least they then know the dog has been chipped and they might look a little harder for a moved chip.

[CJay]

Its been standard practice in tassie for some time now, Peg and Blue both have tatts.

The tattoo is done while the animal is still under, its isn't like the traditional tattoos done with a machine and needle, so it is done very quickly.

That said, with microchips now i'm not 100% sure if its necessary, I like the idea of being able to look in the ear, but its my understanding that if a dog is picked up the pound/RSPCA will scan for a chip before doing anything else.

[Loving my Oldies]

I think tattooing is an excellent idea.

[Starkehre]

Whenever I have my dogs desexed I request that they are NOT tattooed.

One of my dogs was tattooed when I distinctly requested that it not be done. They agreed, and when I picked her uo she had been tattooed. I was furious.

They will never be in a shelter or pound and I am happy for them to be vetted at trials.

I am not saying it is not a good idea for some situations, just not what I like for my dogs.

[SpotTheDog]

This is interesting - I do some cat rescue and tattoos are absolutely invaluable on desexed cats. I hadn't really thought about it much with dogs, and when I read this thread I though 'oh hey my guy isn't tattooed!' I was so convinced he wasn't I rang home (slow day at work ) and asked hubby to go have a look in the dogs ears. Apparently he does have a tattoo, but it's been done quite deep in the ear so it's not immediately obvious when he perks his ears up.

[Tassie]

Apart from the advantages of the vet (or pound for that matter) knowing that the dog is desexed - and therefore owned - at least at some stage, it's an advantage to have the tattoo in a desexed bitch's ear if you do performance disciplines - all you have to do at most trials is show the tattoo at vetting.

My agility girl's tatt is way down in her ear, though, so I have to work to show it - glad it's there though, as her chip doesn't show up on some scanners. We tried two the other day - one found and read the chip - the you-beaut one didn't - go figure.

[WreckitWhippet]

Whenever I have my dogs desexed I request that they are NOT tattooed.

One of my dogs was tattooed when I distinctly requested that it not be done. They agreed, and when I picked her uo she had been tattooed. I was furious.

They will never be in a shelter or pound and I am happy for them to be vetted at trials.

I am not saying it is not a good idea for some situations, just not what I like for my dogs.

+ 1

[Zombie Bait]

Brembo (male) is an RSPCA special and doesnt have a tattoo (from 3.5 years ago).

Sierra (female) has one, desexed at private vets 2 years ago.

Dozer (male) foster dog desexed at same private vets got tattooed a week ago.

I dont mind it, Id probably reconsider if I had "prick" ear breeds or I showed in neuter classes but until then Im happy to have easy id of desexing on my dogs.

[Andisa]

I prefer them to be tattooed when desexed, there is no harm doing it and they are none the wiser. We had a rabbit desexed about 15 yrs ago and even he was tattooed. When Abby was desexed for some reason they didn't do her, I asked why and no reason, just not done.

As a groomer I check for the tattoo while cleaning their ears, most are tattooed.

One of the main reasons why I like the idea of tattooing them with desexing is if someone was to steal them for BYB - if they could easily see they are tattooed they would be of no use to them so wouldn't bother.

I heard rumors a few years back that a puppy farmer had a friend in one of the local pounds - when a fluffy was found and not desesed they would call the friend up with a description of the dogs and claim them - pay the fine and take them home. I doubted it at the time but was reassured it was true.

While I would like to think that my dogs would never end up in a pound I can not guarantee 100% that it would never happen. My yard is only as secure as the boundary fences, they are sound now but some of the wind storms that we get around here at times could easily damage a fence if no one is home to see it in time the dogs would escape. They all sleep inside at night but I don't do a check in the middle of the night with a torch before toileting them. Luckily none of them are not interested in trying to escape.

[Tokkie]

Thanks for you input guys.... looks like it basically comes down to personal choice, I would love to think my dog will never get lost, but like Andisa said, it can happen.

Must say I never thought of the puppy farms steeling dogs that are not desexed.....