There has been recent widespread news coverage about the perceived danger of microchips causing cancer in pets. Veterinary experts, including cancer specialists, dispute this concern, saying that there is no evidence that microchips cause cancer in our pets.
The studies that caused the concern dated from the mid-1990s, and showed that microchip implants had induced tumors in some laboratory mice and rats. A case report documenting the death of a dog due to a subcutaneous cancerous mass was also mentioned in the press, since this dog also had a microchip.
When this issue first received publicity in January, groups that advocate microchips in pets as a means of identification reviewed the research studies that prompted the concerns. They concluded that the studies were flawed – the particular strain of mice that was used in the research is predisposed to cancer, and thus does not represent the population of pet animals that are usually microchipped. They also concluded that it was inappropriate to conclude that there was any cause and effect association between the microchip and the tumor in the case report.
Millions of animals now have microchip identification, owing in part to the routine practice of implanting microchips in all dogs and cats that are adopted from humane societies, animal shelters, and many animal rescue organizations. Indeed, it is estimated that about 8,000 pets per month are returned to their owners in the United States alone, because of microchip identification.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and groups such as the Coalition for Reuniting Pets and Families currently endorse microchip technology for pet identification. The Veterinary Cancer Society and American College of Veterinary Pathologists are aware of the controversy, as are veterinary oncologists and pathologists. No clinical studies are possible at this time because of the lack of cases.
All of these groups will remain vigilant to this concern, but agree that the benefits of microchipping far outweigh any concerns that have been raised to date. At this time, the FDA remains firm in its approval of microchipping for pet animals, and veterinarians continue to recommend this form of identification.
