The below info is taken off an email newsletter that was sent to me from a vet in the USA

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MERCK SUED: HomeAgain® PET CHIP IMPLICATED IN CANCER
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Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. has been served with a lawsuit
over claims its HomeAgain® pet microchip induced cancer in a cat.
Animal rights attorney Steven Wise seeks "reasonable compensatory
damages" for a malignant tumor "likely" induced by a HomeAgain® ID
chip implanted in his client's cat, Bulkin. [To read Bulkin's case
history click here.]

The complaint, "Andrea Rutherford v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and
Digital Angel, Inc.,"(case # 1052CV1147) was filed last week in
Cambridge (MA) District Court. The complaint named implant maker
Digital Angel Corporation as a co-defendant.

"Based on the alarming number of microchip-linked cancers we're
discovering, I predict this lawsuit will be just the tip of the
iceberg," said Dr. Katherine Albrecht, a consumer advocate and
expert on adverse reactions associated with implantable microchips.

Bulkin's case is featured at www.ChipMeNot.com, a new website
launched by Albrecht's consumer group CASPIAN to bring attention to
the plight of animals who have developed cancer and other adverse
reactions from ID microchips. Albrecht documents several of these
cases in "Microchip-Induced Tumors in Laboratory Rodents and Dogs:
A Review of the Literature 1990-2006," a peer-reviewed academic
paper she presented at a June conference of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers devoted to concerns about
implantable microchips.

Albrecht's paper and a copy of the complaint are also posted at
www.ChipMeNot.com. The site, co-developed with graduate intern
Lidiya Prorochuk, spotlights a growing number of adverse reactions
to microchips, including the chip-related cancer deaths of two dogs
within the past year. The site also features a form where pet
owners can report adverse microchip reactions, since there is
currently no official registry in the US to collect such data.

"Merck and organizations that advocate pet chipping should take
this lawsuit seriously and start warning pet owners of the risk of
microchip-induced cancer," Albrecht advised. "As Andrea Rutherford
and other pet owners can tell you, it's not a statistic when it's
your pet."

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P.S. First point here is to ensure that your pet has proper
identification- I am an advocate of tattoos- permanent and safe.

It should come as no surprise that a foreign piece of plastic/metal
injected permanently under your pet's skin could cause cancer.

I have seen sarcomas (skin cancers) in the area of microchips, and
I have had to perform surgery, removing a Large section of skin and tissue.

Unfortunately, the cancers have always come back- it's a difficult
tumor to fully remove with surgery.

If your pet has a microchip, don't be too worried- the chance of
skin cancer developing is very low.

P.P.S. Prevention is far more appealing than having to treat
diseases such as cancer.

Wow, this makes you think! Thanks Sharlamay.

I've heard these cases before and it scared me terribly when I chipped Taylor I wondered what the chances were of this happening to her but so far so good. what scares me is that it is now KUSA law to chip all puppies registered with them are we signing their death warrant???

I havent had Trigger chipped yet but i have been considering it. The main reason for me doing Taylor was because she used to get out a lot whereas he has no desire to go anywhere! Who does tattooing??? and what are the prices like? and does a tattoo compensate with KUSA for not chipping an animal or are we still forced to chip all future puppies that are registered with them? So many questions sorry! I like the tattoo idea but is it painful for the animal? and what do they tattoo? a number or code?

What i DO like is that with a tattoo it can be seen whereas a chip no one would even know it's there unless they took the dog to a vet or shelter and scanned them

Both of mine are chipped, so this scares me a lot! I hope they are doing research to get to the bottom of this issue. I also like the tattoo idea, if only it didn't hurt them. But you could do it under anaesthesia, like the chips. I wonder if KUSA accepts tattoos?

Yes they do accept tattoo's Marilize. On the registration papers it asks for either the tattoo mark or the chip no.

We're opting for tattoos from now on! No cancer risk

Thanks for this advice. I was going to have my two chipped in Dec, but now I think I will go for the tattoo!!