Vets talk down cost of microchipping
Opponents of compulsory dog microchipping have been exaggerating the cost of the procedure, the Veterinary Association says.
You mean, you won't get THAT rich?!
Farmers have been lobbying to have their dogs exempted from the new law, saying the dogs don't leave the farm and costs will be high because farmers commonly own several dogs at a time. But Veterinary Association's chief executive Murray Gibb said the heated debate surrounding the issue had not been helped by misinformation about the costs.
"Figures used by opponents of microchipping are way out of line," he said.
"For farmers, only newly registered dogs will need to be chipped. Currently registered dogs are exempt, so claims that those with 20 or more dogs are going to have to spend thousands of dollars getting them chipped are just plain wrong."
Mr Gibb said vets were charging between $35 and $75 all-up for chipping dogs, depending on whether it was a stand alone procedure or included as part of a consultation for other reasons.
It included the cost of the chip as well as lifetime registration on Australian databases.
SO, if it's a lifetime registration, why is there an EXTRA cost in registering your dog with City Council. Surely if that cost was gone, there wouldn't BE an anrgument!
Mr Gibb said microchipping wasn't restricted to vets and the Veterinary Association envisaged competition putting downward pressure on prices.
OH REALLY... so anyone with a machine can go into business?!?!
"On average, there are five dogs per farm in New Zealand, each with a working life of about seven years. A one-off cost of about $50 for each new dog is a long way from the prices being used in the current debate," he said. "This works out at less than $50 per year per farm, a quarter of claimed figures, and should be put in perspective. "It costs about $500 per year to properly feed an average working dog."
You mean, you won't get THAT rich?!
Farmers have been lobbying to have their dogs exempted from the new law, saying the dogs don't leave the farm and costs will be high because farmers commonly own several dogs at a time. But Veterinary Association's chief executive Murray Gibb said the heated debate surrounding the issue had not been helped by misinformation about the costs.
"Figures used by opponents of microchipping are way out of line," he said.
"For farmers, only newly registered dogs will need to be chipped. Currently registered dogs are exempt, so claims that those with 20 or more dogs are going to have to spend thousands of dollars getting them chipped are just plain wrong."
Mr Gibb said vets were charging between $35 and $75 all-up for chipping dogs, depending on whether it was a stand alone procedure or included as part of a consultation for other reasons.
It included the cost of the chip as well as lifetime registration on Australian databases.
SO, if it's a lifetime registration, why is there an EXTRA cost in registering your dog with City Council. Surely if that cost was gone, there wouldn't BE an anrgument!
Mr Gibb said microchipping wasn't restricted to vets and the Veterinary Association envisaged competition putting downward pressure on prices.
OH REALLY... so anyone with a machine can go into business?!?!
"On average, there are five dogs per farm in New Zealand, each with a working life of about seven years. A one-off cost of about $50 for each new dog is a long way from the prices being used in the current debate," he said. "This works out at less than $50 per year per farm, a quarter of claimed figures, and should be put in perspective. "It costs about $500 per year to properly feed an average working dog."
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home