How much does it cost to chip a dog? It’s a common question asked by pet parents, and the answer may surprise you. Microchipping is a relatively inexpensive procedure that could save you a lot of money and heartache in the long run.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the cost of chipping a dog will vary depending on the individual dog and the chip itself . However, on average, the cost of chipping a dog is between $30 and $60.
Why Microchip Your Pet?
Since there is a danger of loss or theft of a dog, a microchip is placed by using a needle under its skin below its shoulder. The chip consists of a distinct number that can be picked up and recognized by a scanner.
If your dog ever gets lost, a microchip can be used to help reunite you with them. Animal shelters, veterinary clinic, and even some police departments have scanners that can read the chips. All they need to do is scan your dog, and your contact information will pop up on their screen. This way, you can be contacted as soon as possible so you can retrieve your pet.
Not only dogs but this process is also done with other animals and birds like cats, horses, pigeons, eagles, etc.
What Is A Dog Microchip?
A dog microchip is a small device that is implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. It is little bigger than a grain of rice and is used to store information about your dog.
When your dog is lost or stolen, a microchip can be used to help identify and return him to you. Microchips are safe and cause no harm to your dog.
They do not require surgery or anesthesia and can be implanted by a veterinary professional in just a few seconds. Once implanted, a dog microchip will remain in place for the rest of your dog’s life.
Do they expire?
Since the chips do not rely on batteries or other moving parts, they are designed to last the lifetime of the animal. This means that pet microchips do not expire and there is no need to replace them.
How many Animals are Microchipped?
The average number of microchips found in stray dogs and cats taken to participating shelters was 1.8 percent.
According to estimates, 5 to 8 percent of animals in the United States have microchips.
Is it cruel to microchip a dog?
Some dog owners are concerned about the pain and health risks that may be associated with chip implantation. However, the pharmaceutical giant Merial reminds the consumers about the safety of chips. According to them, microchip implants are painless and are often well tolerated by animals.
They also assure the dog owners that itchiness, abscesses, or allergic reactions are negligible risks.
Who does this Job
It is recommended that a veterinarian should do it, but it is not necessary. You can take the help of any doctor or an expert nurse for this task.
Duration of Inserting the Chip
The time taken to insert a chip inside a dog is the same as giving an injection, that is, just a few seconds.
Other Procedures:
When a dog is microchipped, the only task is that the process has to be registered in the hospital, where the dog has been microchipped. It means just some paperwork.
How much Painful for the Dog?
The microchipping is performed by a long needle. When it is inserted, there is a little pinch as we feel when we are given an injection of blood is taken from our body. It depends from animal to animal, some feel slight pinching, but others don’t react at all.
How safe is Chip?
According to Dr. Murray at ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, New York, this process is generally safe, but there are very rare cases in which the animals may die. That is why this task is not restricted to veterinarians, and any other expert in the hospital can perform it. Sometimes the safety also depends on the part of the dog in which the chip is inserted and how it is injected.
The danger of any other Disease:
People have the misconception that there are side effects or dangers of other diseases if a chip is inserted into a dog or other animal. This is not true because millions of animals undergo the chip implant. There is a very low probability that the animal catches any other diseases. Taking that risk as compared to a loss of a dog is reasonable.
How a microchip works:
A microchip is not a GPS or tracking device, but it works when it is scanned. Dog owners save chip numbers and also know the chip manufacturer. Chip is just registration, and the owner must be sure that after it is inserted, it has to be registered in a database with your phone number.
When a dog is lost or stolen, the owner informs the company, and the company traces the right location of the dog and informs the owner on the phone. If the phone number is changed, the owner has to inform the company to update the information.
Brands of Microchips:
There are several microchip brands available in the market. You can get advice from your vet, who tells you which brands are more reliable and popular for selling microchips along with their costs. Many companies manufacture these chips, and there is a lot of competition between them.
Reading of Chips by Scanners:
A chip can’t be read by all scanners. Some chips can be scanned on some scanners, but others can’t. You have to choose a scanner that can read the microchip inserted into your dog. The advice can be obtained by your vet or chip manufacturer.
Movement of Chip:
It is very interesting that chips can migrate from one part of an animal’s body to another part; therefore, scanning a chip is a little bit tricky. However, an expert vet can easily do the job. On each visit with the vet, the owner should get the position of the chip checked.
How much does a Chip Cost?
If someone just goes for the microchip implantation only, it costs $45 to $50 in the USA, but some people also go for regular dog checkups with the veterinarian. In such a case, they may get a discount.
There are also some rescue groups and animal shelters which insert the chip at a discount price. The Insertion of the microchip also depends upon the area and level of the hospital as well. Cost also depends on whether you need the registration online yourself or you ask the vendor to do it for you.
In the UK, the average cost for inserting microchips and registration is £10.90, but few councils offer a cost between £8 to 15.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, the implantation of the free microchip is offered at “The Dogs Trust” (a neutering scheme) and at PDSA Centre (Chain of pet hospitals).
It has been seen that people pay more attention to microchip insertion in dogs in developed countries. In the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, and France, people are interested.
Summary:
People purchase and keep dogs at high costs. Therefore they can’t expect to lose them. Therefore to insert a microchip is a method to track the lost dog or any other animal. The chip is implanted in the dog by an injection which generally does not have any side effects. Many centers provide the facility of imparting microchips, some of that charge a cost, and others do it free. A dog owner should visit a vet from time to time, and apart from the usual checkup, the microchip should also be checked.