Chip application to pets: Why is it installed?

What does the chip inserted into pets do?

The main purpose of the microchip inserted into pets is to help find your pet by identifying its registered identity when it is lost or stolen. It also contains a lot of information such as your pet's health history, veterinary care and vaccination dates. It is a fast, reliable and easy identification method for pets. This device, the size of a grain of rice, is injected under the skin and contains a unique 15-character code number. This is your pet's identification number.

Using this identification number, veterinarians can give the right vaccine or apply the right treatment to the right animal. Additionally, when a lost or stolen animal is found, veterinarians or animal shelters can reach the animal's owner by reading the microchip on the animal with microchip scanners.

What happens if pets are not chipped?

Pets that are not chipped are primarily at risk of being lost. Animals can get scared and run away from anything, or they can go out into the street through an open doorway and get lost easily. In such a case, it becomes difficult to find the owner of an animal that has not been microchipped and may never be found. Or animal thieves can easily adopt an animal without a chip. Microchips are also a system where your pet's vaccination schedule and health history are recorded and tracked. In pets that have not been chipped, this monitoring becomes difficult and the risk of incorrect treatment increases.

How to insert a chip into pets?

Microchipping is an extremely simple and painless procedure. A qualified veterinarian or trained technician can easily perform this procedure. The microchip is injected through a thin needle under the skin, usually in the neck or upper back of the animal. The selection of the area to be microchipped may vary depending on the size, breed and species of the animal. For example, the shoulder area may be preferred for a small breed dog, while the nape or back area may be more suitable for large breed dogs. These areas are places where the chip can be easily placed and read easily when necessary.

Your veterinarian may prefer to use a sedative or local anesthesia to calm and relax your animal before the procedure. Once microchipped, your veterinarian will give you a registration form to register the microchip and add it to the registry system. This form includes your pet's information (name, species, gender, age, vaccination schedule, etc.) as well as its microchip number. This number is recorded in the database of the veterinarian or registration system. It is important to keep this information up to date so that your pet can be found easily in case it gets lost.

Time to insert a chip into pets

The process takes a very short time. The process is usually completed within 5-10 minutes. However, this period may vary depending on your animal's breed, size and behavior.

Where are pets chipped?

Microchipping is usually performed by specialist veterinarians in veterinary clinics. However, in some regions, chips can also be inserted in animal shelters or animal protection associations.

Is it harmful to have pets chipped?

Microchipping is generally a safe procedure and does not have any harmful effects on animals. Microchips are made of biocompatible materials that are harmless to humans and animals, and because they are implanted under the skin, they do not interact with other parts of the body. This process is permanent, the implanted chip does not leave the animal's body in any way and continues its function without being damaged throughout the animal's life.

In addition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or other medical imaging techniques or radio frequency (RF) waves used to scan microchips do not harm the health of animals.

Does the cat chip emit radiation?

Microchips do not emit radiation and are high-energy radiation sources. They are not.
They work using radio frequency (RF) technology. In this technology, microchips send information using high-frequency radio waves when they pass near a reader. The reader receives this signal and reads the information stored in the microchip. The reading distance is quite short and the signal stops immediately after reading the data on the microchip. The microchip is a passive device, meaning it does not operate on its own or emit data. It stores data that can only be read by its reader.

Does inserting chips into animals hurt?

Insertion of microchips is generally similar to routine veterinary procedures such as vaccination or blood collection, and may cause short-term mild pain and discomfort in your animal. However, veterinarians often use local anesthetics or analgesics to minimize the animal's pain and discomfort. After the procedure, your animal can continue its normal activities.

Chip fee for pets

Fees for microchipping pets may vary depending on the quality of the microchip, the location of the veterinary clinic, the type of your animal and the additional services required by the microchipping process. If your animal needs additional examination or if painkillers or local anesthesia will be administered during the procedure, additional fees may be charged. However, in general, a fee of 50-300 TL is charged for microchipping.

Is it mandatory to have pets chipped?

In Turkey, as of 2023, it is mandatory for cats, dogs and ferrets over 6 months of age to be microchipped within the scope of the "Regulation on the Identification and Registration of Cats, Dogs and Ferrets".

What will happen to animals that are not chipped?

People who do not have their pets chipped must pay a fine if they are detected. This penalty has been determined as 3 thousand 469 TL as of 2023. After paying the fine, they must have their pets chipped and registered.