Can You Feel the Microchip in a Dog?
Yes, sometimes you can feel the microchip in a dog. You might detect the small, hard glass tube like a tiny bump by touching the skin between its shoulder blades.
In many cases, you won’t be able to feel it because of its placement. Vets place chips in that spot because it’s between the shoulder blades and less likely to shift, because of the loose skin in the area, and because it’s unlikely a dog will be able to scratch at the chip by itself.
If you can’t feel a chip, there could still be one in place in a way that’s hard to detect through touch. The only way to be sure whether a dog has a chip is to have a vet scan it.
So, Can You Feel the Microchip in a Dog?
Yes, sometimes you can feel the microchip in a dog. In some cases, you’ll find a tiny bump about the size of a grain of rice on your dog’s back between its shoulder blades. It might be easier to feel the chip on a small dog like a Yorkie than on a larger breed like a Great Dane or a Poodle with thick, curly fur.
If you can’t feel a bump, that doesn’t mean the microchip isn’t there. It might have shifted slightly or nestled under the skin to make it harder to detect with touch. You can take your dog to the vet and ask them to scan the chip if you’re in doubt.
A pet microchip is a tiny chip containing identifying information that can help return your lost dog to you. Before you start imagining computer chips like RAM chips or the little circuit boards in an electronic device, let me put you at ease.
When I first heard of pet microchips, I thought of those things and wondered how comfortable it could be to have something that size inserted under the skin. I laughed when I learned that a pet microchip is about the size of a grain of rice, not a circuit board or a snap-in computer chip.
The chip is enclosed in a tiny glass tube and doesn’t have edges or rough areas like I’d pictured. A chip scanner designed to read the chip can pull the unique information and help get your pet home.
A microchip is backup pet identification and doesn’t replace a collar and identifying tags with your information. Only people who have the scanner, like animal professionals, will be able to read the chip.
You’ve probably watched your vet give your dog an injection before by pinching a flap of loose skin. They perform microchipping the same way. The vet will pull up the skin between your dog’s shoulders and insert the small, tubular device with a syringe and needle.
The vet will then scan the chip to ensure it’s working properly. Microchipping is a quick procedure that takes a few seconds and doesn’t require an anesthetic. It doesn’t hurt your dog any more than a shot might and should give you some added peace of mind knowing that your pet is more protected.
After the vet places the chip, you have to register it with the manufacturer and pay their fee, usually a single payment rather than an ongoing subscription.
The needle is bigger than injection needles, so if you’re concerned your dog might be uncomfortable, you can have them microchipped during other procedures while under anesthetic. If you plan to spay or neuter your dog, you can have the chip inserted then.
What Does the Lump Feel Like?
A pet microchip often feels hard and narrow when you touch it. It also has curvy, rounded edges, like a rice grain. But an abnormal growth, tumour or lump will hardly ever feel like that.
If anything, a lump is softer and feels more weird and shapeless.