Don't get your small dogs microchipped - the procedure can be deadly, warn vets who urge owners to flout new law 

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Dog owners should ignore new microchipping laws as the procedure can cause serious health problems for puppies and small dogs, even leading to death, a leading vet has warned.

Senior vet Richard Allport believes puppies are 'far too young' to be chipped at eight weeks, and says they could have 'serious adverse reactions' when having the sterile chip inserted between the shoulder blades.

New laws, which come into force on April 6, require all dogs in the UK aged eight weeks and over to be microchipped. Dogs must already wear a collar and tag with the owner's details when in public.

But, Mr Allport, who is also owns the Natural Medicine Centre, Hertfordshire, has urged dog owners to avoid having their pets chipped so young, instead encouraging them to 'sit tight and do nothing'.

Senior vet Richard Allport, from Hertfordshire, believes puppies are 'far too young' to be chipped at eight weeks, and says they could have 'serious adverse reactions' when having the sterile chip inserted (file photo)

Those who follow his advice risk facing fines of £500 from Wednesday, as the Government continues to crack down on the country's 8.5million dogs which are still not registered.

Outlining how he believes the government's law is putting pets at risk, Mr Allport told specialist magazine Dogs Today: 'I think the age by which puppies must be microchipped – eight weeks – is far too young.

'Most of the serious adverse reactions (including death) have been in puppies and small breeds.

'My advice to people who don't want their dog's microchipped is to sit tight and do nothing.'

The microchipping procedure involves a sterile chip, the size of a grain of rice, being injected between the shoulder blades. The chips have a unique 15-digit code that can be read by a scanner.

It is a more permanent way of recording the animal's ownership – as collars and tags can be removed or fall off.

While 83 per cent of dog owners have so far complied, around one in five – 1.45million – have not done so, according to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs.

Pete Wedderburn, a veterinary surgeon, said the benefits of reducing the numbers of stray dogs and illegal puppy farms 'massively outweigh the risks' of animals going through the microchip procedure.

He said: 'It's a big needle and big injection so naturally there's going to be a reaction.

'But what you have to bear in mind is that this is looking at just one side – this is going to help with stray dogs and lives will be saved.'

New laws, which come into force on April 6, require all dogs in the UK aged eight weeks and over to be microchipped. Dogs must already wear a collar and tag with the owner's details when in public (file picture)

There have been a number of cases where animals have died after being microchipped.

In 2009, a Yorkshire terrier named Scotty developed epitheliotropic lymphoma at the site of his microchip implant, and died at just six years old.

In the same year, a Chihuahua named Charlie Brown died within hours of being chipped. Charlie died from 'an extreme amount of bleeding' from the 'little hole in the skin where the (microchip implant) needle went in,' according to D. Reid Loken, the vet who performed the procedure.

Lori Ginsberg, Charlie's owner, said at the time: 'I wasn't in favour of getting Charlie chipped, but it was the law. This technology is supposedly so great until it's your animal that dies.'

And in October 2010, a lawsuit was filed in the U.S. by Andrea Rutherford against Merck Sharp & Dohme and Digital Angel Inc. because her cat, Bulkin, developed cancer at the site of his microchip.

There are currently more than 102,000 stray or stolen dogs found in Britain every year. The law will help local authorities and charities that look after lost dogs, whose care currently costs £33m a year.

Owners whose dogs have been found by police or local authorities, if they are identified, will be given a short time to comply with the law. If they do not, they could be fined up to £500 on conviction.

Paula Boyden, veterinary director of the Dogs Trust, said: 'Losing a dog is an extremely upsetting time for both dog and dog owner and microchipping increases the likelihood that a dog will be reunited with its owner... making it an essential part of animal welfare law in England.

'It is vital that the microchip details are kept up to date. Last year 47,596 unclaimed and unwanted dogs were left in council kennels across the UK as these dogs could not be reunited with their owners.'

The dog welfare charity is currently looking after 1,546 stray, unwanted and abandoned dogs who need a home.

Microchipping a dog costs between £10 and £30, but many charities and animal shelters offer the service for free.

Dr Huw Stacey, director of clinical services at Vets4Pets, said: 'Pet owners shouldn't worry. It is a simple procedure. A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is injected under the skin at the scruff of a dog's neck.'

He added: 'By adding a traceable element to all dogs it will help lost or stolen pets be reunited with their owner.

'It is also vital that all owners keep their contact details up to date on a microchip database.'

Owners may have to pay a fee to update their details with organisations offering the microchip service.

The move to introduce compulsory microchipping fills the gap left after dog licences were abolished in the United Kingdom in 1988.

It was mandatory to have one as a dog owner up until this time and cost only 37.5p. But they were phased out because they were widely ignored and regarded as ineffective.