Chemical Castration

[Andoria1]

Has anyone had Chemical Castration used on their male dogs before. Does it work well to reduce agression and male hormones ? And also what are the bad side effects of having this done?

[honeychild]

I saw that last night on its me or the dog and was wondering about it aswell. Ive heard of an implant but not an injection...??

[Andoria1]

Yes the tv show "It's Me or My Dog" is where i heard about it from and was wondering if it is a good thing too. But i am only thinking of using this as a last resort for my puppy.

If you saw the tv show last night my dog has a similar attitude in the past. I could relate to that lady on the show very well. It would be like my fiance would leave the room and the dog would go beserk on me. And then when my fiance would return, the dog would act like a loving pet.

And my dog loves to hump me when he dosent get his way and starts nipping me as well on the knees. My dog is not so bad with the agression now as i can tame him a little bit. But the most anoying thing is when i take the dog outside the house when i want to go back in the house, he tries to get inside .. if i dont let him inside then the dog tries to hump me and then starts to nip me.

And gets agro if you take him of the couch.

I was wondering also if anyone had it done. Chemical Castration. How much would it cost here in australia to do it?

[dogdogdog]

Strange question I know but why don't you just have him neutered? Why are you thinking chemical castration?

He will then be able to settle down coz his hormones aren't going all over the place. It could be the answer.

[shoemonster]

Is there any reason you don't want to desex him normally?

I have used the implant along with a change in training on my boy with some good results but only because I was still deciding whether or not to show him

If the showing was not an option I would desex him surgically instead

[KOE]

his balls will more than likely shrink

[sas]

Chemical Sterilization a New Option for Male Puppies

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Pet Column for the week of February 16, 2004

Office of Public Engagement

2001 S. Lincoln Ave.

Urbana, Illinois 61802

Phone: 217/333-2907

Ann Marie Falk

Information Specialist

University of Illinois

College of Veterinary Medicine

Sterilization helps combat the pet overpopulation problem and also curbs unwanted behaviors in dogs not selected for breeding. In the past the only way to stop a dog from fathering litter after litter of unwanted puppies was surgical castration. Now a new option exists: Neutersol, an injected chemical sterilization product.

Neutersol is currently labeled for use only in male dogs between the ages of 3 and 10 months with an appropriate testicle size. It is available by prescription from a veterinarian and should be given only by a veterinarian or other person trained in giving these injections.

"One advantage of using Neutersol is avoiding the hassle of surgery," says Dr. Cliff Shipley, a veterinary theriogenologist (reproduction specialist) at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. "Dogs do not need to be anesthetized or to stay at the clinic afterward for observation. They do not face the risks, such as bleeding, that accompany anesthesia and surgery. Giving an injection is easier than surgery any day!"

As with any medication there are possible side effects, however. Testicular swelling is a common reaction to the injection. Some dogs will experience a short painful period and may vomit. Other possible reactions include biting or licking the scrotum, swelling of surrounding tissue, skin irritation, and rarely infection.

"The complication rate is very, very low, and most problems are due to inappropriate injection," says Dr. Shipley. It is important that the person administering the injection be trained.

Studies show that Neutersol gets an "A+" in effectiveness for birth control: in a study 99.6 percent of dogs became sterile after an injection. It takes at least 60 days for the product to work, however. Neutersol does not kill sperm already in the body at the time of injection.

"Owners' No. 1 reason for neutering their male dogs is behavior, and the close second is unwanted puppies," says Dr. Shipley. "Testosterone, which may trigger these negative behaviors, is not completely eliminated by Neutersol in all dogs. Testosterone levels were decreased an average of 41 to 52% in the treated versus control subjects in the company's clinical trials."

"If Neutersol does not bring about the desired behavioral changes, owners can decide to have the testicles taken out," he says. "But even with surgical castration, when the source of testosterone is removed, behavior is not always altered. There is no guarantee that any form of castration will always change behavior."

Neutersol may be a good choice for dog owners who do not want the testicles removed. Some owners view castration as taking their dog's "manhood," while others like male dogs to look like male dogs. Dogs sterilized with Neutersol are no longer able to have puppies yet still have testicles and look like intact dogs.

"Neutersol is still a very new product and may not be the best choice in every situation," says Dr. Shipley. "It may have a more prominent role in animal shelters than in private practice. It will allow shelter veterinarians to sterilize more dogs is a much shorter period."

At this time Neutersol is still expensive, costing about the same as a surgical neuter. Your veterinarian can help you decide whether this product is best for you and your dog.

For now there is no product comparable to Neutersol for female dogs; the surgical spay procedure is the best option for female pets not being bred. Nor has Neutersol been approved in cats; similar doses to those given in dogs do not cause sterilization in cats. Studies are looking at the use of this product in large animals.

For more information on Neutersol or castration, contact your local veterinarian.

[Andoria1]

Im just more worries that if i decide to surgicaly castrate the dog he will be more prone to get infections from the cut area .

[shoemonster]

I would say from the above there are still risks of slight swelling and skin irritation

Boys usually recover pretty quickly from surgical neutering, I guess it just depends if you still want balls or not

[Nekhbet]

the risk of infection at the surgery site is slim to none. If you let the dog run through the dirt or continuously lick it its going to have issues.

THe dog gets an antibiotic shot and then tablets as well if it needs them.

Cut your losses and chop him now while he's young.

[Akitaowner]

whilst on the subject - i had a good chat with a breeder at the pet expo at the w/e when i told him i would more than likely desex my girl as it would be toomuch trouble have 2 entire dogs (1M & 1F) in the house - he said chemical castration was great! would swear by it!

he has a newfy and said it takes about 4-6 weeks for it to take full effect at which time the dog settles much more easily and is not interested in ripe bitches at all! he said it worked out to about $12 a month and it seriously changed his dog temperament (settled, calmed from strong alpha of the pack)

he said only downside is that it can sometimes be permanent (not so good for a breeder, but most have stores of their boys)

im thinking of trying this for a little while until we decide if my girl is good enough to breed with - which will probably be well after her first season.

If you have no intention of breeding - i would suggest surgical castration instead, cheaper in the long run and better for the dog.

[vic2010]

I did a bit more looking at the Neutersol and apparently it's not approved here in Australia and it's not available in the US at the moment cause they have just lost their marketing sponsor.

Did then read about another one called Chemspay, but that is in early testing and wont be available for about another 2-5 years.

[ReXy]

Im just more worries that if i decide to surgicaly castrate the dog he will be more prone to get infections from the cut area .

the op is quite quick and simple,, and usually heals with no problem at all..

if the dog is not registered and you are not showing then there is no need to keep the dog entire... far more risks IMO,, in keeping a dog entire if not used as stud or shown,, than the op itself...

[Staff'n'Toller]

Neutersol has never been used here and isn't being manufactured at the moment.

Suprelorin is the chemical castration implant, Tardak is the old style injectable.

Suprelorin is relatively new in oz, but in clinical trials seems to show good results as far as sperm function and motility returning to normal.

Suprelorin needs to be given every six months, they are currently trying to get a twelve month implant approved.

If all that you are concerned about is skin infection, well the skin is healed well in 4-5 days, all dogs are generally given anti-biotic or penicillin injection on the day of surgery, and you can ask for a course of tablets if you wish to take home. As the others have said, I would only consider suprelorin if there was some question about whether you wanted to show the dog. Here in Melbourne it will cost about 160 to surgically desex as a once off cost, or over 200 PER YEAR for the implants.

I've been nursing for 5 years and hardly ever see infections with routine desexing. Nothing that a course of anti-biotics and an elizabethan collar wouldn't fix anyway!!

For what it's worth I've worked in a remote community desexing dogs that were filthy, and hardly ever have a problem, dogs are very resillient when it comes to infection.

Mel.

Edited November 14, 2006 by Staff'n'Toller