Microchip Placement in Dogs and Cats
A pet's microchip sits between the shoulder blades, and a little drifting from that spot is normal. Knowing where to feel and when to have it scanned keeps things simple.
If you’ve just brought home a puppy or kitten, you may be wondering where the chip goes and whether it can move. In the UK and Ireland there’s one standard spot for it, and a small drift from there afterwards is normal.
Where is a microchip placed in a dog or cat?
In the UK and Ireland, the chip goes under the skin on the midline of the back, halfway between the front and back edges of the shoulder blades. That applies to dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets alike.
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) says the regulations set no site for the chip, but it recommends the standard one for two reasons. It cuts the risk of the chip migrating, and it means anyone scanning your pet knows where to look first. If an injury rules out the usual site, the vet will place the chip as close to it as possible and record the different site in the clinical notes and on the database or travel documents.
Continental Europe uses a different convention. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) notes that chips there go in the middle of the left side of the neck, and it advises scanning the alternative site if a pet scans negative. So if your pet was chipped abroad, mention it at their first UK vet visit.
Why a chip can move a little
Chips don’t always stay exactly where they went in, and that’s usually fine. They commonly shift a small distance from where they were implanted. It doesn’t hurt, very rarely causes problems, and the chip will still be picked up when scanned.
One reason movement is hard to pin down is that nobody records the starting point. There’s no rule that where the chip was placed has to go on the animal’s record or on the database. So a chip found away from the usual spot might have migrated, or it might have been placed slightly off in the first place.
Microchip migration in puppies and kittens
A chip put in very early can shift around more as the puppy grows. The Royal Kennel Club says a dog can be chipped at any age, but most vets suggest puppies are chipped at around seven to eight weeks, partly because chipping too young can be uncomfortable and could cause issues with the chip migrating.
For kittens, the timing is set by the law rather than by a recommended age. In England, the keeper of a cat older than 20 weeks must make sure it is microchipped. The rule is England-only; in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, cat microchipping is optional.
If your breeder has had the litter chipped very early, ask your vet whether the timing was right. Otherwise, have your pet chipped at the age your vet recommends and keep an eye on the chip as they grow. Our guide to microchipping registration covers the timing and the steps that follow once your pet is chipped.
How to check the chip is still where it should be
There are three ways to locate a chip, in increasing order of reliability. You can feel for it between the shoulder blades, scan it with a reader, or image it with an x-ray or ultrasound. For most owners, the first two are all you’ll ever need.
The easiest habit is to ask the vet to scan your pet at routine check-ups, especially while a puppy or kitten is still growing. It takes a moment, confirms the chip is present and working, and gives you the number to check against your records. If you’ve just collected a puppy from a breeder, make that scan part of the first vet visit. If a scan ever fails to find your pet’s chip, that’s a different situation with its own steps, covered in our guide to what to do when your pet’s chip can’t be found.
Why the record behind the chip matters
Wherever the chip ends up sitting, the record behind it is what helps your pet get home. The chip holds only a number, and your contact details live on the record linked to it, so it’s the record that needs registering and keeping current. You can register the microchip yourself. To find out which database already holds your pet’s record, our guide to checking which microchip database your pet is on explains the steps.
Microchip placement follows one standard spot across the UK, and small drift from it is normal. Once a vet has confirmed the chip is there, you can register your pet with Pet Database to keep the record linked to it in your name.
