A microchip is a permanent form of identification.  About the size of a grain of rice, encapsulated in glass, it is injected just under the skin between the shoulder blades.  When scanned, a unique number is read.  The owner’s information is stored in a database, and upon calling the 800-number and giving the unique microchip number, the owners information can be found, and the animal reunited with his or her family!

While it is always a good idea for your dog or cat to wear a collar and ID tag, collars can be lost, or removed.  A microchip is permanent.  Once it is placed, it’s there for life.

We are often asked if it is painful to get a microchip.  The needle is large, and with all injections there is an ouch-factor.  In general, the smaller the animal, the more it hurts, just because the needle is bigger in comparison to the animal.  That said, we’ve had cats and dogs microchipped who didn’t even notice.  We’ve also had dogs and cats who cried, and even bled a bit when microchipped.  This is perfectly normal.  For especially small pets, we do recommend that you have them anesthetized by your veterinarian so they aren’t hurt by the microchipping needle.

When implanting a microchip, the injection site is cleaned with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.  The microchip is loaded into the needle, and inserted into the skin between the shoulder blades.  The needle is retracted and discarded (sharps can not just be thrown into a garbage, they must be disposed of properly).  Needles are never re-used.

Most microchips come with a tag for the collar.  These tags are bright yellow and give the phone number and ID code for the microchip.  If your pet is wearing this tag, he or she will not need to be scanned because the ID is right there on their collar!

The average cost for microchipping varies from place to place.  The local veterinarians here charge $50 to microchip, and then it’s an extra $17.50 to register the microchip (so that if scanned it comes up with your information).

Registration costs vary by provider.  There are Avid, HomeAgain, and 24PetWatch microchips, among other brands.  We use 24PetWatch microchips because they are far more affordable and registration is free and automatic!

We highly recommend that all cats and dogs be microchipped, even if they are indoor-only pets. Every day hundreds of inside-only pets escape through torn window screens, doors accidentally left open, slipping between someone’s legs as they enter or exit, etc.  Indoor pets can also find themselves lost if they are stolen, or if your house is damaged by fire, hail, a tornado, or strong winds.  Some dogs have been known to jump right through a window when especially scared or when protecting the home.  Pets kept in fenced yards can sometimes climb over, dig under, or even squeeze through the fence, and invisible fences don’t always keep an animal contained either, especially if they are running full speed when they reach the edge of the perimeter.