Here’s a breakdown of dog microchipping, including costs and why it’s important:
Why Microchip Your Dog?
- Permanent Identification: Unlike collars and tags that can get lost, a microchip is a secure way to link your contact information to your dog.
- Increased Recovery Odds: Significantly improves the chances of being reunited with your lost pet.
How Microchipping Works
- Small Chip: About the size of a rice grain, the chip is implanted under the skin between the dog’s shoulder blades.
- Radio-Frequency ID (RFID): The chip emits a unique code that can be read by special scanners used by animal shelters and veterinarians.
- Registration is Key: The code is linked to your contact information in a database, allowing you to be contacted if your dog is found.
Cost of Microchipping
- Varies by Location: Expect to pay around:
- US: $20-$60
- South Korea: $30
- Factors Affecting Price:
- Veterinarian’s fees
- Inclusion of registration costs
- Whether it’s done at a subsidized event (sometimes offered by shelters)
Why Choose a Veterinarian?
- Safety: Vets use sterile techniques and know the proper injection site to minimize pain and complications.
- Comprehensive Service: Often includes registration and ensures the chip is working before you leave.
The Microchipping Process
- Quick and Minimally Painful: Similar to a vaccination.
- Ideal Age: 8 weeks old is recommended when tissue is firmer.
- Longevity: Microchips are designed to function for about 25 years.
International Cost Comparisons
While the procedure is similar worldwide, prices fluctuate:
- California: $20 – $25
- US (Average): $60 (due to mandatory registration)
- South Korea: $30
- Florida: ~$20 (may have refundable registration fee)
Key Takeaways
- Microchipping is Affordable: A small investment for significant peace of mind.
- Registration is Vital: Ensures your lost dog finds its way home.
- Vet is the Safest Choice: Proper technique and guidance are important.
- Don’t Rely Solely on the Chip: Collars and tags are still valuable as immediate identification.
Microchipping is a simple, proactive step that can make all the difference if your furry companion ever gets lost.
Why Should a Dog Get a Microchip?
The dog owner should get a microchip for his beloved pet because it will help the owner reunite with his pet if it gets lost someday.
It is a unique permanent identification of your dog that will never get lost, unlike the ID and collars hung at your dog’s neck. A microchip is a form of modern technology that emits radio waves by which the owner can identify where his dog is.
How Much Does it Cost to Microchip a Dog? – How Can You Find Your Dog Using a Microchip?
Microchips result from modern technology, which is very effective for dog owners. The size of this chip was the same as the size of a grain.
It was implemented using a mini surgery in a dog’s skin, generally between the shoulder blades and the thereabouts. It works wonders when your dog gets lost without his collars and ID.
The microchip implemented in the dog’s body continuously produces radio waves by gathering a bit of the energy regulated in the dog’s body.
The radio waves emitted by the microchip were named the Radio Frequency Identification {RFID} can be identified easily by tracking it through the Radio Frequency Identification scanner. At the same time, the type of wave emitted by each company’s microchip is different.
The animal control worker will scan the type of code through a special scanner by reading the radio waves emitted by the microchip inside the dog’s body. The workers will give the code of your dog’s microchip to the company, and then the company will further inform you about where you will be able to find your dog.
What is the Cost of Microchipping a Dog?
The cost of your dog getting a microchip will depend on where you want to get your dog microchipped. If you’re going to get a microchip for your dog from an official clinic of a veterinarian, then it will be a bit high and will cost within $ 40 to $ 50.
This cost includes the charges of the minimal surgery done by the veterinarian during the implantation process, the vet’s charges, and the charges of registration.
Whereas if you want to get your dog a microchip from a regular place by a one who doesn’t have any certifications but has experience in implanting the chip, then the cost will be significantly cheaper compared to the clinic of veterinarian, the price will be around $ 10 as these type of clinics don’t charge registration fees.
Why is it Preferred to Go to the Vet to Get a Microchip?
Sometimes the dog owners prefer to get their dog a microchip from an average clinic without visiting a veterinarian.
It was suggested that the dog owners take their dog to veterinarians to get the pet a microchip because people without certifications doing the job don’t know which instruments and which products to use for the procedure. They were doing it based on experience, so sometimes, it can get risky for your pet.
Is the Process of Microchipping Painful for Your Dog?
As per the research we have done on the implantation of a microchip in a dog’s body, the process is not that painful. The pain in the implantation process is just as similar to the pain during the vaccination. Even anesthesia is not required during the implantation.
At first, the veterinarian takes a sterile applicator and then loads it with the grain-shaped microchip, and then injects it into the place behind the shoulder blades.
The place behind the shoulder blades is chosen because while researching the dog’s body, it was found that the contraction between the muscle tissue within the shoulder blades is weak, making the area of the shoulder blades less sensitive.
Hence we can say that the area between the shoulder blades of a dog is chosen because it is less sensitive and causes less pain to the dog compared to the other body parts of a dog.
Steps Followed By a Veterinarian for Microchipping a Dog
The veterinarians follow a proper procedure for implanting the microchip in a dog’s body.
The steps followed by the veterinarians are
- The veterinarians used to implant the microchip in the dog’s body using a quick injection.
- The site of the body where the chip should be implanted differs by the breed of animal.
- The vet should check the dog to see if it has any microchips already in its body.
- The vet holds the part of the shoulder and injects the chip into the site.
- The vet then ensures the exact place of the microchip by a final pinch as the needle is withdrawn.
These steps were followed by almost all the veterinarians throughout the world, as it also ensures the proper working of the microchip without causing any harm to the dog’s health.
Correct Age for Your Dog to Get a Microchip
As per the research done, the dog should be microchipped at the age of 8 weeks because, at that time, the muscles of the dog’s body were more contracted, and the tissues were more organized.
So at that time, if the chip is injected into the body, then there will be significantly less chance for the chip to get loose. That is the reason most veterinarians prefer the dog owners to get their dog a microchip at the age of 8 weeks.
How Much Does it Cost to Microchip a Dog Internationally?
Now we will discuss the cost of microchipping a dog in different nations to compare which country provides the microchipping of dogs at a much cheaper rate.
We know that the process of microchipping a dog is minimal. It only takes a couple of seconds to complete the microchip implantation in a dog’s body. But still, it is necessary to talk about the services and costs provided by the dog microchipping clinics in different nations.
Dog Microchipping Rate in California
The process of microchipping a dog in California is not that much expensive as per we have discussed previously. The clinics provide the same services like registration, documentation, and the process of implantation, and it costs around $20 to $25, including the charges of registration and vet charges.
Dog’s Microchipping Rate in the United States
The process of microchipping a dog is costly in the United States. The services provided by the clinics were the same, but the dog owner had to pay an additional charge of $20 to list their contact information in a pet recovery database which cost around $60.
Rate of Microchipping a Dog in South Korea
The process of microchipping a dog in South Korea is quite similar to the price of California. But the vets include some extra charges for the sterile applicators they use during the procedure. Hence the total cost of microchipping a dog costs around $30.
Rate of Microchipping a Dog in Florida
The microchipping rate of Florida clinics is less than the previous ones. The charge of microchipping a dog in Florida costs only $19.99, which also includes the vet’s bill and the registration fee. Still, the registration fee is returned to the owner after the completion of the process.
What is the Longevity of a Microchip Attached to Your Dog’s Body?
The microchips are designed in such a way that they can face all the metabolic regulations, muscle contraction, and various other mechanisms that are continuously active inside the body and still can emit radio waves by storing energy for its detection.
As per research, the microchip attached to a dog’s body can only last up to 25 years. As soon as the 25th year of the microchip passes, the chip starts to lose signals, and as a result, it gets useless for identifying the animal associated with it.
With this, we have discussed all the things about the microchipping of dogs like the comparison of services provided internationally, why is getting a microchip necessary, the correct age of the dog to get a microchip, the steps followed by the vet,
how much does it cost, is the process painful and many other things that will clear all your doubts regarding the microchipping of the dog in all aspects.
