How Much Is It To Microchip My Dog?

You’re considering getting your dog microchipped, but you might be wondering if it’s worth the cost.

If you’re worried about another gigantic vet bill, don’t! Microchipping your dog really doesn’t cost very much at all — and you only have to do it once. Plus, it can help you find your pup if he ever goes missing, which is truly priceless.

The Dodo spoke with Dr. Linda Simon, a veterinary surgeon and veterinary consultant for Five Barks, and Dr. Megan Conrad, a veterinary consultant for Hello Ralphie, to find out how much it’ll cost you to microchip your dog.

A dog microchip is a tiny piece of technology — it’s about the size of a grain of rice — that gets implanted under your pup’s skin and will help reunite you and your dog if he ever gets lost.

The microchip’s associated with a specific number that’s unique to your dog. When you register your pup’s microchip, you’ll enter your contact information, like your phone number, address or anything else you’d put on your pup’s ID tag, into the microchip manufacturer’s database.

That number will be picked up by a microchip scanner and can be plugged into the manufacturer’s database to find your contact information. This will be helpful if your lost dog is found by a vet, shelter or rescue since these places typically have microchip scanners on hand.

“Many pups will already be chipped before coming to you, so you will simply need to update the contact details held on the system,” Dr. Simon told The Dodo.

If you’re adopting a pup and don’t know the company that made his microchip, you can ask the shelter to scan him, and then look up his number on the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) pet microchip lookup site. You can then get in touch with the manufacturer to update your new pup’s chip.

The microchip itself doesn’t cost very much, but the price of microchipping your dog can fluctuate based on where you’re getting it done.

“The cost varies but is typically about $20 or so,” Dr. Simon said.

You can get your dog microchipped at a shelter, a low-cost clinic or a veterinarian’s office.

“When you adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue, often the adoption fee will include a microchip,” Dr. Conrad told The Dodo. “Low-cost clinics offer microchips for about $15 to $35.”

However, the cost of microchipping your dog can be a little higher if you have a vet do it.

“Microchipping by a veterinary hospital can cost up to $80, including registering the chip for you,” Dr. Conrad told The Dodo.

Once it’s under your pup’s skin, though, the microchip won’t ever need to be replaced — so that means you’re only dealing with a one-time cost.

Microchipping your dog won’t be 100 percent painless, but it shouldn’t hurt your pup very much.

“The operator lifts the scruff of the neck and inserts the chip under the skin via a small needle,” Dr. Simon said. According to Dr. Simon, any pain associated with the microchipping process will feel similar to getting a body piercing: sharp, short and fleeting.

And your dog will only get microchipped by a certified individual, so the person chipping your pup knows what they’re doing and will create as minimal pain as possible.

“While it is usually a vet or vet tech that microchips your pup, breeders can also perform microchipping if they have a license,” Dr. Simon said.

But don’t let that tiny amount of pain deter you — microchipping your dog is absolutely worth it. For an affordable, one-time cost, you’ll have so much more security knowing that chip will help you reunite with your BFF if he gets lost.

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