When someone brings a found dog into our emergency room, the first thing we do is reach for the scanner. If there is a microchip, that dog is usually back home within hours. If there is not, a family somewhere is putting up flyers.
Dog microchipping in Annandale, VA takes a few minutes and usually costs under $125. In this week’s Vet Video, Dr. Jacque Stahl shows the whole process on her own French bulldog puppy, Eevee.
How does a microchip get a lost dog home?
The chip is about the size of a grain of rice and sits under the skin between the shoulder blades. It holds a unique 15-digit code tied to an online registry with your contact information.
Veterinary hospitals, shelters, police stations, and airports all have scanners. One pass of the scanner, one lookup in the registry, and the finder has your phone number. The vast majority of lost dogs with a registered chip are reunited with their owners.
Does the microchip procedure hurt?
It looks like a regular injection and feels like a little pinch. In the video, Dr. Stahl places the chip in Eevee in seconds, with no sedation. It can be done during any visit, including a wellness exam.
What does dog microchipping cost in Annandale?
Usually under $125, one time. The chip also serves as legal proof of ownership if there is ever a dispute. If you want to plan ahead for preventive care like this, our wellness plans spread the cost of the essentials across the year.
Which microchip is the right one?
Dr. Stahl recommends an international 15-digit chip. It travels with your dog anywhere in the world and connects to the largest microchip database, which is the one we search first when a found pet comes through our doors.
What a microchip cannot do
It cannot track your dog like a GPS, and it cannot track you. It does one job: it identifies your dog and gets the two of you back together.
Chipped but not registered? Fix that today
A chip with outdated contact information is a dead end at the scanner. If you have moved or changed numbers since your dog was chipped, update the registry today. Not sure what chip your dog has? We can scan and check at any visit.
And if your dog ever does go missing and turns up hurt, we are here around the clock. Columbia Pike is open 24/7 with no additional emergency fee.