Micro-chipping....is it painful?

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Hi all,

My little girl is being micro-chipped tomorrow and I am a tad worried. I saw another person's post about sedating a vet nervous horse if micro-chipping. Is it that bad? I'm worry it will hurt my girl then she will become vet nervous? I was hoping he would be able to do it in the field as she hasn't long moved and i don't want to upset her too much but i have just remembered he is checking her teeth, so i guess he wont be able to do that in the field either.

Sorry to be a pain.
 
the injection needle does look like you could darn socks with it:eek: but in the right hands it shouldnt hurt your horse? it maybe a little uncomfortable for him for a minute but thats usually it? and some horses do get upset by vets visits, but a lot can be blamed on the stress the horse feels from its owner/handler.so try to relax!!!! :)
also it can be safer to have your horse in a stable for everyones sake,but also get your horse into habit that when she is brought in she has to behave herself, in the field anything could happen!
 
I have used sedation in horses that are very unhappy about needles - but TBH it's one large, but very quick injection and while most flinch a little, some hardly even notice!

Be quick and accurate, that's my motto for chipping.

Don't worry - you'll wondered why you did tomorrow evening :)
Good luck
Imogen
 
If your horse is young, sometimes it's sensible to give some sedation as there is no point in starting a lifelong fear of vets/needles.

This was my vet's advice when my horse was microchipped as a 3 yo and I'm glad I listened to him.
 
Millyard Rejects said:
the injection needle does look like you could darn socks with it:eek: but in the right hands it shouldnt hurt your horse? it maybe a little uncomfortable for him for a minute but thats usually it? and some horses do get upset by vets visits, but a lot can be blamed on the stress the horse feels from its owner/handler.so try to relax!!!! :)
also it can be safer to have your horse in a stable for everyones sake,but also get your horse into habit that when she is brought in she has to behave herself, in the field anything could happen!
Click to expand...

If you dont like needles, dont look :eek: Its huge :eek: :D
 
I have only had one hrse sedated for microchiping andshe really had quite a hatred of neddles and vets. my other horse i dont think even noticed! Think im right in saying that the same size neddle is used in cats and dogs too and it is big! but even they dont seem too trumatised by it
 
thank you all, she is having her teeth checked too so i need to get her in the stable really. maybe sedation would be a good idea anyway, will see what the vet says this afternoon x
 
Depends on how good the manual dexterity of the vet is . Having seen people who are not vets but approved under EU regulations do chipping they are so quick and skilled its over before the mare and foal realise. Some reports coming back about vets who are not skilled with horses are not good news. In Germany this year the the Hanoverian society who chip thousands of foals did not charge any extra for chipping including the cost of the chip. In the past when vets were chipping TBs they were generally at large studs with expert handelers now they are with many individual owners who in many cases only ever have the odd foal. Its generally accepted that it is as stressful as branding.
 
I had my old girl without using anything and she hardly even flinched. The vet warned me she may jump a bit but she didnt seem to notice. Gem was done with a small amount of local anaesthetic injected 1st and didnt notice when the microchip went in either so i wouldn't worry too much about it. The needle does look huge but it's really not that bad for them. My youngest already has a needle phobia though :rolleyes: and rears wherever my vet comes near her with one so god only knows how she'll behave when she's chipped. I'm actually thinking of not having her done (naughty i know) as i can see it ending up with both my vet and myself being squashed (again...)
 
Foals have to be chipped now, the ones i've seen done don't even flinch! I've had all mine done & they were all fine, flinched but still fine for vaccs and most of them are young.
 
update...

Well vet came out and chipped my girl...she had two holes in her neck as 'she moved' and the first chip came back out. So she had to re-do it. She really jumped and there was a lot of blood :(

I put her back out in the field after trying to wash her shoulder, leg and part of her neck for blood with her rug on. A lot of head-shaking so i presume its uncomfortable for her. Took some dinner to her before i left and she wont even let me touch her neck. When i left she was just standing there, not grazing. Am I worrying for nothing?
 
The vet did our three in the field. The TB didn't notice, one yearling flinched and the other yearling jumped a little and bled a bit. If I were you I'd try rubbing her neck while feeding treats in about a weeks time when it has healed. Overwrite the bad memories with good.
Stay calm and carry on.:)
 
Thank you, i feel silly as my cat was fine with it and he was tiny compared to my horse lol! The needle was massive so i had to walk away and a lovely person at the yard stood with her. I will just keep giving her cuddles and lots of attention :) x
 
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