Fi Nano Microchip

[jsheffield]

Hello,

I'm both careful and nervous when giving my tortoises outside time in the warm months in New Hampshire.

I've been thinking about microchipping some/all of them, but doing it through the vet was cost-prohibitive (or at least cost-scary).

I found this on Amazon and ordered one with the plan of trying it out on one of my larger tortoises, either Aretha or Darwin.



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B193CQKH/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

My question is how tricky and/or risky is the injection process?

I assume a betadine swabbing would take care of any risk of infection, but am curious about the optimal injection site and placement of the micro-chip.

I haven't looked yet, but bet there are youtube videos... I'd appreciate any help or advice or cautionary tales people are willing to offer.

Thanks,

Jamie

 

[jsheffield]

Microchipping Hermann's Tortoise at Turtle Island | Turtle Island founder, Dr. Peter Praschag, and veterinarian, Dr. Shannon DiRuzzo, are placing microchips in our chelonian residents for identification... | By Turtle Island | Facebook

1.2K views, 18 likes, 2 loves, 0 comments, 9 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Turtle Island: Turtle Island founder, Dr. Peter Praschag, and veterinarian, Dr. Shannon DiRuzzo, are placing microchips...

fb.watch

 

[Tim Carlisle]

If you do it, let us know how you made out with it. I wish they would come out with the nanotechnology to incorporate GPS tracking along with it. 2 birds / one stone.

 

[Yvonne G]

@Kapidolo Farms has put pit tags in our tortoises. Maybe he can give you a pointer or two.

 

[Markw84]

Hello,

I'm both careful and nervous when giving my tortoises outside time in the warm months in New Hampshire.

I've been thinking about microchipping some/all of them, but doing it through the vet was cost-prohibitive (or at least cost-scary).

I found this on Amazon and ordered one with the plan of trying it out on one of my larger tortoises, either Aretha or Darwin.

View attachment 353444

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B193CQKH/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

My question is how tricky and/or risky is the injection process?

I assume a betadine swabbing would take care of any risk of infection, but am curious about the optimal injection site and placement of the micro-chip.

I haven't looked yet, but bet there are youtube videos... I'd appreciate any help or advice or cautionary tales people are willing to offer.

Thanks,

Jamie

I think you have answered your own question with the videos you found. It is quite easy and the tortoises seem almost oblivious to the process.


I've done lots and never had one even bleed at the site when injected. Betadine liberally used to clean the site. I turn mine upside-down to do the injection, but with a smaller tortoise setting on something like the vet did looks easy as well. Bevel up (sharp edge of needle down) makes the injection much easier.

 

[jsheffield]

Thanks for the replies so far... I think I'll try the first one I ordered on Darwin, as she's pretty mellow and a bit less muscular than Aretha.

Jamie

 

[Maro2Bear]

Is this so you can identify if stolen? Or, they escape, someone finds & turns into a vet or Shelter & they get scanned?

 

[jsheffield]

Is this so you can identify if stolen? Or, they escape, someone finds & turns into a vet or Shelter & they get scanned?

Both

 

[Maro2Bear]

Both

Thought so, just curious. Pix of the process to follow I’m sure.

Good luck

 

[jsheffield]

Thought so, just curious. Pix of the process to follow I’m sure.

Good luck

Yup... I was excited to see what seems like a simple and affordable option available on Amazon.

I'll report back on how the insertion goes, how the information uploading goes, and how the thing works once I can get Darwin to the Vet to check on the chip's function.

Jamie

 

[dd33]

It is pretty easy to do. The location that @Markw84 and I have used with the GTA animals benefits greatly from a small scalpel incision before inserting the needle. If you try doing it without you risk bending the needle or breaking the needle off in the animal. If you are doing it for the first time it would be a good idea to have a pair of pliers handy to grab the needle if it snaps off the applicator. You can see a few photos in this post:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/our-aldabras-bigfoot-littlefoot-and-meatball.194136/#post-1995765

I have some video as well, I will try to make it viewable.

 

[jsheffield]

Question...

I've got the microchip and injector and have watched the videos and have betadine and tissue adhesive and a scalpel and am about ready to do this with Aretha and Darwin (my two large tortoises), but it just occurred to me that maybe I should yank the deep waterbowls in their enclosures that they soak in on a regular basis, at least for a few days after the injection, to prevent a possible infection from the inevitably murky water that resides in the bowls no matter how often I clean them... thoughts?

Jamie

 

[Markw84]

Question...

I've got the microchip and injector and have watched the videos and have betadine and tissue adhesive and a scalpel and am about ready to do this with Aretha and Darwin (my two large tortoises), but it just occurred to me that maybe I should yank the deep waterbowls in their enclosures that they soak in on a regular basis, at least for a few days after the injection, to prevent a possible infection from the inevitably murky water that resides in the bowls no matter how often I clean them... thoughts?

Jamie

We do not take any additional steps to protect the area of incision. We simply inject, confirm the reading and place the tortoise back with the others. We do use a much large chip than you are using and as Dustin had mentioned above, we make a scalpel incision to help with easier insertion of the large gauge needle. (about the diameter of a grain of rice.) Even with this, there is no bleeding and the incision is invisible to see/find after done. With the nano chip I doubt you would need the incision, so you would have only the site puctured. With the betadine and sterile proceedures we are careful not to get bacteria carried into the incision by the needle, but afterwards, it seals nicely and there is no concern with waterbowls, etc contaminating.

 

[jsheffield]

We do not take any additional steps to protect the area of incision. We simply inject, confirm the reading and place the tortoise back with the others. We do use a much large chip than you are using and as Dustin had mentioned above, we make a scalpel incision to help with easier insertion of the large gauge needle. (about the diameter of a grain of rice.) Even with this, there is no bleeding and the incision is invisible to see/find after done. With the nano chip I doubt you would need the incision, so you would have only the site puctured. With the betadine and sterile proceedures we are careful not to get bacteria carried into the incision by the needle, but afterwards, it seals nicely and there is no concern with waterbowls, etc contaminating.

Thanks!

Jamie (and Aretha & Darwin)

 

[jsheffield]

I did it.

J

 

[Megatron's Mom]

Thanks for doing the video too. I have Fi nano from breeding doxies. I wondered about the tortoises as I have seen posts talking about it.

 

[jsheffield]

I couldn't believe how strong Aretha's back leg was....

Jamie

 

[Megatron's Mom]

I can't even imagine. I'm totally new to all the tortoise stuff and just trying to learn everything I can.

 

[jsheffield]

I can't even imagine. I'm totally new to all the tortoise stuff and just trying to learn everything I can.

This is a great place to learn.

J

 

[Ink]

I think you were more nervous than Aretha