How to Microchip a Dog: Pros and Cons of Microchipping

A pet microchip is a small RFID (radio-frequency identification) transponder—about the size of a grain of rice—that vets implant under an animal’s skin, typically between their shoulder blades. Pet microchips contain unique identification numbers to help people identify lost animals and return them to their owners.

A pet microchip implant uses radio-frequency technology (rather than a traditional collar that can fall off the pet’s neck) to communicate a pet’s information if they get lost. A veterinarian scans the pet’s neck to retrieve the data from the tiny microchip, which transmits their unique ID number back to the device. The animal care professional browses the microchip registration company’s database, where they can find the pet owner’s contact information.

Pet owners can visit their local veterinary office to get their pets microchipped. A veterinarian uses a hypodermic needle to gently insert the microchip beneath the loose skin between the dog’s shoulder blades. If the pet owner loses their dog, the person who finds them can visit a shelter or vet’s office to retrieve their microchip number.

Here are some of the potential benefits of microchipping your dog.

1. 1. Microchips help find lost pets. Microchipping a pet makes it far easier for good samaritans to return your furry friend if they get lost. A dog’s chip cannot fall out, and a veterinarian can easily access your information to return your pooch to you easily.
2. 2. The procedure is safe and painless. Unlike tattooing an identification number on your pet’s skin, implanting a microchip into a dog is quick and causes minimal pain. During the procedure, your dog only feels a tiny pinch, similar to getting a vaccination shot.
3. 3. Microchips are permanent. Regular ID tags attached to your dog’s collar can fall off or become illegible over time. Microchips stay under your dog’s skin forever, making them a permanent way to store your contact information on your pet.
4. 4. It shows proof of ownership. There’s no way to prove your dog belongs to you without a microchip. If someone finds and wants to keep your lost dog, that person could simply put a new identification tag on their collar and claim the dog as their own. Microchipping enables you to prove ownership with a simple ID scan at the vet’s office.

Here are some potential disadvantages to microchipping your pooch.

1. 1. The microchip can move. Animal care professionals typically look for microchips between a dog’s shoulder blades, but they can move to another part of their body occasionally. This migration could lead the person who scans your dog to think they aren’t microchipped. During your dog’s checkup, ask your veterinarian to check their chip to ensure it hasn’t moved.
2. 2. Different microchips emit different frequencies. Competing microchip companies make chips that use different frequencies, which some scanners can’t detect. Luckily, most animal shelters use universal scanners that can detect any chip. However, if someone takes your lost dog to a shelter without a universal scanner, they might not find your dog’s microchip.
3. 3. Microchips don’t show location. Unlike a collar with a GPS transmitter, a microchip won’t show you the exact location of your dog. GPS transmitters can fall off the collar or run out of batteries. Using both a GPS tracking device and a microchip together will give you the most peace of mind.

Microchipping your dog is an easy and inexpensive procedure, typically costing around forty-five dollars. Follow these steps to microchip and register your dog properly.

1. 1. Ask your vet to do the procedure. Always visit a veterinary office to have a new pet microchipped. If you’re thinking of spaying or neutering your dog, ask the vet to microchip your pooch while they're under anesthesia for that procedure. However, keeping your pet awake for this routine and relatively painless procedure is also possible.
2. 2. Register the microchip. Register your pet’s microchip with the appropriate recovery company after having them microchipped. There are many registries to choose from, but opt for one listed in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool. Vets and shelters use this tool to search an enormous list of microchip registries within a single search engine.
3. 3. Add contact info to the registry. Provide a minimum of two phone numbers for separate contacts when you register your microchip. Having two contacts on file ensures that news of your found pet will reach two people.
4. 4. Check the chip yearly. During your dog’s annual checkup, ask your vet to scan the chip to ensure it still functions properly and hasn’t migrated to a different part of your dog's body.
5. 5. Update your contact information. Update your owner information—like phone number and address—in the microchip registry whenever it changes. Out-of-date contact information can prevent the person who finds your lost dog from being able to connect with you.

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