Update on Micro-chip/Cancer Link
Update in the New York Times today, Report of Cancer Hurts Maker of Chip Implants. Although the article focuses somewhat on the Wall Street fortunes of manufacturer VeriChip (as Calvin Coolidge said: "The business of America is business.") here is the latest:
VeriChip said that it had not been aware of the studies cited in the report, according to the article, but both the company and federal regulators said yesterday that animal data had been considered in the review of the application to implant the chips in humans. They said that there were no controlled scientific studies linking the chips to cancer in dogs or cats and that lab rodents were more prone than humans or other animals to developing tumors from all types of injections.
“At this time there appears to be no credible cause for concern,” said Karen Riley, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration.....
...In addition to driving down the two companies’ shares, the report created concern among veterinarians and operators of animal shelters that pet owners would resist the practice, now widespread, of putting similar chips in pets to make it easier to return lost animals to their owners. Most animals who are not reclaimed by owners are euthanized.
“If there are any cancers from the chips, they are so rare that losing pets is far more serious,” said Dr. Lawrence D. McGill, a veterinary pathologist at Animal Reference Pathology, a veterinary laboratory in Salt Lake City.
At Super Cool Pets we are not particularly reassured by a statement from the FDA, given recent events. But the embedded chips remain in our two precious Golden Retrievers for the time being. We know first hand the pain and anxiety of searching long hours for a lost pet.
We have posted other pet options than the embedded chips, such as the e-Tag and the PDA for Pets, and will be reviewing more in the future, so stay tuned!
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Posted by Super Cool Pets at September 11, 2007 10:43 AM
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