Tattoo In The Ear, After Desexing.

[RubyStar]

I opt for tattoos because I fear if a bitch got lost/stolen and got into the wrong hands (someone who was out to breed), they would see at a glance that the bitch won't be any good to them and perhaps not steal them in the first place. Rare chance I know, but it's what my mind has always thought. Very good points made here about rescue orgs and the like not having to open them up again to see if they are desexed. Unless your dog's ears stand up, you don't see it anyway unless you look for it so they are a plus in my eyes

[RubyStar]

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.

You beat me to it The point I was trying to make, too Glad to know I'm not the only paranoid one

[Brennan's Mum]

Brennan has 3 tattoos, she has the one she got with the breeder's with her breeder id, one for being Micro chipped and one for being Desexed. Never really bothered me that she is tattooed...and with some of the points being made here I am actually glad she is. She has got the ears which stand up, but I hardly notice the tattoo's anyway.

[Zhou Xuanyao]

They did it to my dog, I was pretty angry about it. I was not advised, if I were I would have refused it.

We are in the car on the way home, and then I notice her ear is tattooed. So I ring them, and her choice of words was very poor, annoyed me further. She said, paraphrase "Oh yes we do tattoo all the dogs, is that ok ?".

Err, im ringing you complaining, a bit late to ask me if its ok after its too late.

[RubyStar]

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.

Both my girls have tattoos... and one is an associate dog, meaning she has to be desexed, yet not one club I know has taken tattoos as proof, they prefer to just do the "wipe". One club just asked if they were desexed, I said yes, and that was all I had to do But showing a tattoo or being vetted still involves some sort of check so doing either one doesn't bother me.

[Bubitty]

Umm I never even realised they were tattooed!

Must check Bitty's ears tonight!

[Maddy]

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.

With the compulsory microchipping starting in July next year down here, there doesn't seem much point, in my opinion, to continue with desexing tattoos when a dog's desexing record can be stored in a way that does not fade and cannot be altered.

Of course, my opinion is perhaps a little coloured by the breed I work with- greyhounds generally have ear brands already and often, these take up a fair amount of space in each ear. I've seen several ear brands that have been partially obscured by desexing tattoos, effectively destroying one means of identification.

Our vet has an opt-in approach (you actually have to ask for it to be done) to desexing tattoos and that's the way I prefer it to be.

[♥Baxter♥]

Whats the reason why you would refuse to get them tattooed after desexing? Just curious

[luffy4688]

Bailey has a tattoo. It's not obvious. Back then when I had him desexed, I had to admit I had no idea they would tattoo him though. Sine then, I've always thought it was a compulsory thing, apparently not.

Edited September 22, 2010 by luffy4688

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

Whats the reason why you would refuse to get them tattooed after desexing? Just curious

i dont want a big green tattoo (ugly imo) on my dogs ear so i see it every day

i had a desexed gsd and the tattoo was placed high up on her ear and it looked awful

Edited September 22, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy

[Tokkie]

Whats the reason why you would refuse to get them tattooed after desexing? Just curious

I worked at a Dog grooming salon for 2 years and saw some really bad tattoos close the tip of the ear (on the inside).... must say it's more obvious on white dogs.

Not a big issue..... just don't want to see a big blue tattoo every time her ear flops over....

Maybe I can ask them to show me where they will put it and if i'm happy, mark it and tell them not to go outside the lines....

[Pepper and Jax]

Aesthetically, I don't like Pepper's tattoo. It's quite obvious sometimes. No fur to hide it I guess. Though it is fading.

But I wouldn't change it. It's function is important in my opinion.

[graysmum]

I volunteer at my local pound.

Some very good points have been made and I would just like to add:

Most microchipping is done when puppies are sold and desexing details are not added later.

Not everybody updates their details when moving.

Well loved dogs and cats can and do end up in pounds. We have had many frantic people looking for their much loved pet and cases where the house was broken into and the dog let loose, gates left opened etc.

We check ears for tats as it does give the dogs a better chance of being adopted or going to a rescue group. You know a desexed bitch cannot be pregnant and that someone has cared enought about that dog to get it desexed.

[blacklabrador]

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.

Surely there is ultrasound to detect the uterus and ovaries?

[megan_]

I like the tatoo, I think it reduces the risk of my girl getting stolen (no chance of breeding). She was an ex-puppy farm breeding bitch, so this is very important to me.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

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.

Surely there is ultrasound to detect the uterus and ovaries?

good point. i never understood that the bitches would be operated on twice because they had no tattoo

Edited September 22, 2010 by Jaxx'sBuddy

[graysmum]

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.

Surely there is ultrasound to detect the uterus and ovaries?

good point. i never understood that the bitches would be operated on twice because they had no tattoo

In most cases the bitch hasn't been desexed so you have the added expense of the ultrasound. Rescue groups have a hard time meeting expenses as it is.

[Remarkabull]

The tattoo is really not that big, about the size of a 5 cent piece.

They can really vary in colour (darkness) though. It depends on who does it. There is quite an art to getting it right.

3 of my dogs are desexed and they have tattoos. My oldest girl (7) I tattoo'ed myself! (I was a vet nurse for the clinic she was done at)

ETA - both of my cats are done too, hardly notice them unless you look closely.

Edited September 22, 2010 by dobesrock

[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.

With the compulsory microchipping starting in July next year down here, there doesn't seem much point, in my opinion, to continue with desexing tattoos when a dog's desexing record can be stored in a way that does not fade and cannot be altered.

Of course, my opinion is perhaps a little coloured by the breed I work with- greyhounds generally have ear brands already and often, these take up a fair amount of space in each ear. I've seen several ear brands that have been partially obscured by desexing tattoos, effectively destroying one means of identification.

Our vet has an opt-in approach (you actually have to ask for it to be done) to desexing tattoos and that's the way I prefer it to be.

Hi

I m not sure wether the ID of a greyhound is a big issue once the dog is desexed and no longer in it's racing capacity or breeding for that matters.

Therefore the desexing tattoo obscuring would not concern me.

I take your point about microchips, and in a perfect world that would work just fine. But sometimes the system fails us, the chip is lost some how, or unreadable, or the institution does not have a chip reader, whatever. I prfer the added security of the tattoo, like an insurance policy.

One more point in the event of thieves a tattoo may just be enough to change their minds from stealing a pretty bitch to breed from.

[GSD FAN]

Tattoos fade over time and are barely noticeable little dots in the desexing symbol. I don't see the issue with them.