Merck sued: Home Again chip implicated in cancer

[Holly_Hobby]

Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. has been served with a lawsuit over claims its HomeAgain® pet microchip induced cancer in a cat. Animal rights attorney Steven Wise seeks "reasonable compensatory damages" for a malignant tumor "likely" induced by a HomeAgain® ID chip implanted in his client's cat, Bulkin.

The complaint, "Andrea Rutherford v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and Digital Angel, Inc." (case # 1052CV1147) was filed last week in Cambridge (MA) District Court. The complaint named implant maker Digital Angel Corporation as a co-defendant.

"Based on the alarming number of microchip-linked cancers we're discovering, I predict this lawsuit will be just the tip of the iceberg," said Dr. Katherine Albrecht, a consumer advocate and expert on adverse reactions associated with implantable microchips.

Bulkin's case is featured at http://www.ChipMeNot.com , a new website launched by Albrecht's consumer group CASPIAN to bring attention to the plight of animals who have developed cancer and other adverse reactions from ID microchips. Albrecht documents several of these cases in "Microchip-Induced Tumors in Laboratory Rodents and Dogs: A Review of the Literature 1990–2006," a peer-reviewed academic paper she presented at a June conference of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers devoted to concerns about implantable microchips.

...

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2100/01/prweb4643884.htm

[get the red out]

1. Oh no

That's what our puppy came from the shelter with.

[Holly_Hobby]

2. The shelter should have a reader and be able to tell

you where the chip is located. Check it once a month or so to be sure it hasn't migrated and isn't forming a lump.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Scary news. Lucy, the GSD I just adopted had already been microchipped.

[Holly_Hobby]

4. See post #2 and

if the rescue can't find it, have your vet find it. Just keep an eye on it monthly to watch for migration to another part of the body or forming a lump.

Most shelters and rescues microchip.

[Vinca]

5. I just adopted a new kitty from the shelter and he has a chip.

After reading this I'm wondering if I should have it removed. Going to the vet for a routine check on Monday so I'll mention it.