How Much Does It Cost to Microchip a Dog or Cat?

Pets have an unfortunate tendency to become lost. Every year, around 10 million pets go missing in the United States,¹ and when it comes to dogs and cats, one in three are reported missing in their lifetimes.² Of these, more than 80% never make it home again, with millions landing in animal shelters and ending up euthanized.²

While microchipping your pet can't guarantee they'll be returned to you if they are stolen or get lost, it will more than double their chances of being reunited. Microchipped dogs are returned to their owners more than twice as often as other stray dogs, and the return rate for lost cats with microchips is even higher.³

Microchipping your pet is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to make a happy reunion far more likely if they end up lost. Find out what you need to know about microchipping your pet, including how it works and how much it costs.

What Is a Pet Microchip?

A pet microchip is a tiny, injectable transponder, about the size of a grain of white rice. It emits a radio frequency that's encoded with an identification number — an RFID — that is specific to your pet. It's injected by a vet via a hypodermic needle beneath the skin, usually between the shoulder blades.³

Microchipping is a simple procedure that's much like giving a shot or drawing a blood sample, and is likely to hurt about as much (which is to say, typically not much). While no anesthesia is needed for a microchip implantation, some pet parents like to combine it with other procedures, like spaying or neutering, so it can be done while their pet is asleep.⁴

Average Cat and Dog Microchipping Costs

Vets typically charge around $45 to implant a microchip in either a cat or a dog.⁵ Microchipping kits cost $10 to $30, but must be administered by a vet.⁵ Your vet will likely also charge you for an office visit, so you may be able to save money by combining the microchip procedure with other services, such as vaccinations, a routine health checkup, spaying or neutering or a dental cleaning.

How Microchipping Works

If your microchipped pet goes missing and is found by a vet clinic or an animal shelter, they'll scan your pet to see if they're chipped and search the databases for your pet's ID number to look up your contact info.³ If you have a membership with a pet recovery network, you can contact them to report your pet missing, and they'll send out alerts to their network and to vets and shelters in the area where your pet went missing. Once your pet is found and identified by their chip number, you'll be contacted to arrange to pick them up or have them delivered to you.⁶

It's also important to understand what a microchip doesn't do. Your pet's microchip is not a GPS location device and it can't be used to track your pet. It also doesn't contain any data regarding either you or your pet's health. Your contact information is not contained in the chip itself, which is why it's important to register the chip ID number with a national database and link it to your contact information.⁷

Maintaining your pet's microchip

As a pet parent, you'll be responsible for keeping your contact information up to date with your pet microchip registry database. Because the chip can migrate to other parts of the body over time, it's also a good idea to have your vet scan for the chip at your pet's annual checkup to make sure it's where it should be and that it's working properly.³

Microchipping Side Effects

Microchipping is a very safe procedure, but it's not completely without potential issues. As mentioned above, one common side effect is that the microchip could move from its implantation site, making it difficult for a scanner to detect. Some less common adverse reactions are also possible, including:⁴

• Inflammation and swelling at the injection site
• Hair loss
• Infection
• Tumor formation

Tumors are an extremely rare reaction. Of the over four million pets that have been chipped since 1996, only four have been reported as developing tumors, and of those four, only two could be linked directly to the pet's microchip.³ This means your pet has less than a one-in-a-million chance of developing a tumor from getting microchipped.

Other adverse reactions reported are also rare, with only 391 total adverse reactions having been reported in more than two decades since pet microchipping became available.³

How Long Do Microchips for Pets Last?

RFID chips for pets are designed to last 25 years, which should be more than sufficient to last the lifetime of your pet.⁵ Unless your pet's microchip relocates itself after implantation, you won't need to replace it.

Registering Your Pet's Microchip

Once your pet is microchipped, you'll need to register the RFID number with a database such as the Free Pet Chip Registry™. Although that one is free, some registries charge an enrollment fee, typically between $15 and $30, which includes membership in a pet recovery network, a service that will send out alerts and aid in your search if your pet gets lost. Some recovery networks also charge an additional annual membership fee. The American Animal Hospital Association website offers a comprehensive list of pet microchip registries and pet recovery services.

Where to Get Your Pet Microchipped

Any vet clinic or small animal hospital is likely to offer microchipping services. Your local animal shelter may also do it for a reduced price, and some pet store adoption programs might also be able to microchip pets you obtain through them.⁴

Many animal shelters and pet rescue organizations will microchip pets before adopting them out, and sometimes they receive pets who are already chipped.³ If you adopt a pet through a shelter, be sure to ask if your pet is microchipped, and if so, where they're registered so you can update your pet's emergency contact information in the database.

Which Pets Should Get Microchipped?

Healthy animals of any age can get microchipped, although it's generally advised to wait until puppies⁸ and kittens⁹ weigh at least two pounds, which they usually reach by eight or nine weeks of age.

Dogs and cats are the most frequently microchipped pets, but horses and birds are also regularly microchipped.¹⁰ Any type of pet can be microchipped as long as they're large enough and healthy enough to undergo the procedure.

Some cat parents think that indoor cats have no need of being microchipped. But indoor cats sometimes manage to find their way outside. When they do, a prey animal or their own curiosity could lure them away from home and into unfamiliar territory where they don't know how to get back home. Microchipping your indoor cat will help ensure that if they do make an escape, they'll be able to return home.

Does Pet Insurance Cover Microchips?

Many pet insurance providers cover the cost of microchipping your dog or cat, although it may depend on the type of coverage. While some companies include microchipping in their standard accident and illness coverage, it's also typical for microchips to instead be covered under add-on plans that cover routine health and wellness costs.¹¹

Alternatives to Microchipping Your Pet

If your dog or cat can't be microchipped for some reason, such as a health condition that makes it medically unsafe, you should make sure your pet always wears a collar and identification tags with your contact information. Also, a wearable GPS tracking device can help you keep track of your pet and locate them quickly if they get separated from you.

The biggest drawback to collars and wearables, however, is that they can come loose and fall off, or they can be easily removed by a petnapper. Not only that, but GPS devices need charged batteries and a good cell signal in order to work, so these things aren't really a substitute for a microchip that can never be lost or stop working. That said, using these methods alongside a microchip will increase the chances that your pet will be returned to you if they get lost.⁷

CareCredit Credit Card Financing for Pets

Taking good care of your pet's well-being from nose to tail is essential. Make sure to stay up to date on their regular checkups at the vet to help keep your pet happy and healthy for a lifetime of love. You can use your CareCredit credit card for pet care throughout the year for routine veterinary services as well as emergencies and surgeries.* Apply today and use our Acceptance Locator to find a veterinarian near you that accepts CareCredit.

CareCredit is there for you and your pet every step of the way; continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

Author Bio

Jean Marie Bauhaus is a freelance writer and novelist with eight years of experience. Her work has appeared on Hill's Pet, Chewy and AKC.org and more.