Tattoos on a dog?

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Kyle@theWintertime

Kyle@theWintertime

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So I got my new tattoo pen for my rabbits...and it only took ten minutes to contemplate putting some numbers or letters in the ears of my dogs. Has anyone done this? Any tips/advice?

I'm super-paranoid about people stealing my dog, if gods forbid she ever got away from me, I doubt whoever finds her would check for her microchip...and my dad's dog is old but still hunts, I worry about him being lost in the field and he has no microchip. Thoughts on ear tattoos for dogs?
 
Personally I am all for it. Around here if someone finds your dog they are not going to check it for a microchip, but if it had my last name in its ear it would be easily returned, or if someone stole one of them they would have a hard time pawning it off for sure!

But I think the AR people would have a flip.... They would call it inhumane, which is funny since the humane society put a green tattoo on my dogs legs when they got fixed.
 
I say go for it, the more ID a critter has the better
Be prepared for yelling and LOTS of squirming, I helped a breeder and her vet tattoo puppies, it was noisy.
 
It used to be the standard, and still is done on some German dogs. I would not do the ear, because I've heard how easy it is to lop the ear off.
I am thinking of tattooing all of my dogs on the inner thigh. The question is with what? Phone number would not work, last name is too vague. I would probably do it with my kennel name, or if I had a lot of time, my website.
 
...yeah my little dog is a screamer. If she even SUSPECTS that something MIGHT hurt, she starts shrieking LOL. Fortunately she doesn't wiggle...she's held perfectly still for worse so I will just wrap her in a towel to be on the safe side. ;)

Hmmm...thigh might be a better location, I'd heard of people chopping off ears but I guess I forgot about it.

Maybe my initials? IDK. :shock:

My concern is, I've known a LOT of dog owners who bring their "rescue" dogs in to be groomed, and they told me "Oh yeah we found her on the streets, someone must have dumped her, we saved her!" And they look at me like I'm stupid when I ask if they tried to locate an owner. Inevitably they did not.

It got me worried for my dog once when one of my fellow groomers, her Shih Tzu bolted out the door and ran away. I kid you not, TWO DAYS later, someone brought him in to the salon to be groomed, claiming he was their new rescue dog and he was "abandoned" by his former owner, left to starve in the streets...we were all "NO THAT'S A MISSING DOG, his owner is DESPERATE to find him, he's a LOST dog not an ABANDONED dog!!!"

It scared me how they didn't even look at the "lost dog" fliers in our window. I figure, if I ever lose my tiny dog, I can make it as clear as possible that she has a tattoo ID as well as a microchip and some very key features (deformed left foreleg, slight notch in the right ear, three white hairs between her eyes, tiny scar on her left primary paw pad...yeah did I mention I'm paranoid about losing her? XD) and then maybe someone will notice. Anything to prevent losing my dog forever!!!!
 
Well, I have not seen hide nor hair of my prize sable german shepherd, I went out to look for her ten minutes after she went missing, and saw no sign. Chipped and all, but in this hood, people don't visit the vet unless something is wrong. I am expecting to see someone walking her in the neighborhood in the spring, and I am already planning how I am going to deal with it.
 
I have the same paranoia about my dog being stolen. He is also chipped, and I take weekly photos of him with a person in my family, or another pet. I then print them out and put them in a photo album.

I thought about tattooing him, but anyone who's going to take him is going to ignore a tattoo as easily as they ignore the tags, or checking him for a chip. If he is stolen or lost, and I can't get him back with his chip, his vet records, the photo album... Well, I'll just have to steal him back.

My dog is very well known in my little town though. Between going to market, and taking him everywhere with me, probably half the town knows he's my dog. All I can do is take precautions to make sure he never gets loose, nor left anywhere where he could be stolen.
 
I belonged to a dog obedience club when I was a teen, and there was a lady that came offering to tattoo dogs. It was done in the groin area where there is little fur. She did it without anesthetic.

There is a topical spray anesthetic available from online tattoo suppliers- I bought some for the rabbits.

I'm not sure how you would go about contact information though... maybe your name and your Veterinary hospital's phone number?
 
I doubt I can fit much onto her, she's only three pounds, but my initials and maybe vet phone number might fit. :) Since she has no hair on her belly I can see where it fits and go from there, lol. ;)

Some topical pain relief spray sounds like a good idea, I'll check the store before I tattoo anybody. :)
 
Tattoos on ears only ends up in the ears being cut off. Tattoo the belly where skin is visible or lower, inner lip. Obviously, do it when the dog is sedated.
 
If your dog is chipped, maybe tattoo that on it? "Chipped". If I found a dog and saw that, I would immediately take it to a vet.

If someone bad is determined to keep it, the tattoo will probably not change their mind. But maybe it would spur the mind of someone who didn't think of microchipping.
 
I've seen people with less common sense god give a groundhog. Like someone could see "chipped " they could think it's name was chipped.

But tattooing a dog IMO is a good idea
 
Most dog tatoos are done on the inside flap of skin on flank or up near the inside hip joint. In a tiny dog, it is done on side of underbelly. last name is a good way to go unless you are a Smith or Jones.
 
I thought of this the other day, while tattooing show buns. My Boston Terrier did NOT appreciate the attempt ... she now has a small straight line tattooed in her left ear. hahaha
I intended to put my last name, address, and phone number. Once I get some of the spray on anesthetic, I'll get it done.
I'll also do it to my new English Shepherd pup I'm getting this weekend.
 
Just an idea, if the dog has had a rabies vax, can you tattoo the number from their rabies tag? That will always track back to the Vet and owner.
 
We tattooed inside the hind leg/flank/belly area ... I don't remember sedating ... I'm sure some dogs would need it though..

When I get my tattoo pen, I'll do the same to my current dogs..
 
__________ Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:20 pm __________

tatooing animals i beleive is a good idea but thats if the tattooing instrument is built safely for the particular/individual animal, i have tattoos my self but theres no way id want tattoo needles hammering away at my sensitive ears so unless the 'gun' is suitable im sure it would hurt the animals on their sensitive parts...if there is an animal tattoo gun safe enough surely their back end would be a better place and it would be seen better and possibly better method to recover in the long run than the toxic micro chip system,
 

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