Zeuterin- Chemical Castration

Veterinary Science Graduate Certificate from UofI
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PetPony said:
So are all of these health risks related to not spaying and neutering really as common as it always sounds they are? We aren't nearly as aggressive about spaying and neutering in Germany and when I was shadowing our vet there, the majority of animals were still intact, especially the males. It isn't at all expected of you to spay/neuter as much as it is here, where many people automatically look down on you for not doing so (not saying everyone does, but I have met a lot of people that do).
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I think part of it is is how rampant the overpopulation and "backyard breeder" problem is here. These animals are very rarely being kept intact to breed responsibly...and if they are, they most often have responsible owners to come along with them.

As for the whole behavior thing...many owners refuse to pay for appropriate care for their animals in the first place, or they complain/whine/yell about it. You think you'll have better luck convincing them to utilize a behavior referral (that will require a lot of work on their part, and quite a bit of money)? Many would rather get rid of the dog.
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orcagirl said:
When we talked about it in anatomy, we learned it depends on the breed of dog. Some breeds are more predisposed to certain diseases after neutering. However, the benefits can outweigh the risks in other breeds. (We didn't talk a whole lot about it, but it did make sense in my mind).
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Oh that definitely makes sense but it still doesn't show how common these are overall.

nohika said:
I think part of it is is how rampant the overpopulation and "backyard breeder" problem is here. These animals are very rarely being kept intact to breed responsibly...and if they are, they most often have responsible owners to come along with them.
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Overpopulation is the main reason why I support it. But the health risks are still mentioned almost every single time I hear about needing to spay and neuter, so I'm just wondering if it's as common as people make it sound by talking about it so much or if they just use it as another reason to convince people to spay and neuter more.
 
We had a discussion about this in epi. Our epi professor said that while neutering doubles the risk of prostate cancer, it is so small to begin with that it doesn't make that much of a difference (I think she said something like going from 0.5% to 1%). I'm not sure if those were the real numbers, but something to think about.
 
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PetPony said:
Oh that definitely makes sense but it still doesn't show how common these are overall.



Overpopulation is the main reason why I support it. But the health risks are still mentioned almost every single time I hear about needing to spay and neuter, so I'm just wondering if it's as common as people make it sound by talking about it so much or if they just use it as another reason to convince people to spay and neuter more.
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Random comment PP, but your avatar reminds me of Packen's
 
StartingoverVet said:
Random comment PP, but your avatar reminds me of Packen's
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Haha I know. But I just liked that picture so much that I couldn't pass up using it. Would it be confusing if I used the one where she's wearing a jersey? :laugh:
 
Maschka1 said:
I am painfully aware. I spent the last 6 years working with and rehabilitating aggressive dogs, including shelter and rescue settings and animals deemed un-adoptable. you might say it is the topic which I am most passionate about and have spent considerable time researching chemical and physiological reasons for mis-behavior. One thing I have learned, is most animals relinquished for behavioral issues are not fixed by a simple surgical procedure. In my experience, I don't really understand where the notion came from that spay/neuter is a fix all. In fact, research has shown that spaying an already aggressive female dog can actually lead to an increase in aggression due to lowered progesterone levels. Castration is not a cure for anything. There is no simple cure for behavioral issues. The reason people give up their pets is because most people have this wacky notion that their dog will be like Lassie or they remember the geriatric dog from their childhood that was too arthritic to cause much discontent.
In my opinion, behavioral issues, in today's pet population is more a product of lack of education for the human factor in the equation and not realizing what it means to live with, and provide for, another species. Its very sad that so many are euthanized every year because people want robot accessories and dont consider the animals needs, but I really doubt reproductive status plays into that in the grand scheme of things.

I guess if you have a male who is truly showing aggression due to male rivalry or becomes more aggressive when there is a bitch in heat, then I do 100% agree that castration is a viable option.

If you have any evidence to the contrary, then I would really love to get my hands on it as I really do love learning about behavior. And I agree, doing a chemical castration without any sedation, heck even on a nice dog, sounds like a terrible idea.:scared:
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I think we are talking around each other. I didn't intend to imply that improper behavior is completely cured by castration. It definitely takes work. However, many behaviors are significantly better with neutering. Including marking behavior in dogs and cats, roaming behaviors in dogs and cats, and aggression behaviors in some cases.
 
For those of you who are interested in unbiased information about chemical sterilization in male dogs, I might suggest visiting the Alliance for Contraception in Cats& Dogs (http://www.acc-d.org/). The mission of the ACC&D is to expedite the successful introduction of methods to non-surgically sterilize dogs and cats and to support the distribution and promotion of these products to humanely control cat and dog populations worldwide. They have tons of information on emerging technologies, including Zeuterin (that is the US name; the international name is Esterilsol) at: http://www.acc-d.org/Esterilsol, including a Product Profile and Position Paper (copy enclosed herewith) at: http://www.acc-d.org/ACCD docs/PPPP-Esterilsol.pdf.

There is also a presentation as part of the National Shelter Medicine Rounds on Monday December 3, 2012 at 3:30PM PST, on Zeuterin. The presentation will focus on Zeuterin, the only FDA-approved nonsurgical sterilant for use in male dogs that will be hitting the market on 12/21. The presentation will discuss how it works, and how it’s administered, and also address topics that have come up on the Association of Shelter Veterinarians listerserv, including permanence and safety. The discussion will finish up with tips for successful implementation, and real-life examples of how animal welfare groups are currently using Zeuterin. Shelter medicine rounds phone number is 1 712 775-7300. When Prompted enter Participant access code 756382 then press the # sign to enter the conference.

The URL for the shelter medicine rounds on-line meeting room is: http://tinyurl.com/sheltermedrounds.
 

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weedonr said:
For those of you who are interested in unbiased information about chemical sterilization in male dogs, I might suggest visiting the Alliance for Contraception in Cats& Dogs (http://www.acc-d.org/). The mission of the ACC&D is to expedite the successful introduction of methods to non-surgically sterilize dogs and cats and to support the distribution and promotion of these products to humanely control cat and dog populations worldwide. They have tons of information on emerging technologies, including Zeuterin (that is the US name; the international name is Esterilsol) at: http://www.acc-d.org/Esterilsol, including a Product Profile and Position Paper (copy enclosed herewith) at: http://www.acc-d.org/ACCD docs/PPPP-Esterilsol.pdf.

There is also a presentation as part of the National Shelter Medicine Rounds on Monday December 3, 2012 at 3:30PM PST, on Zeuterin. The presentation will focus on Zeuterin, the only FDA-approved nonsurgical sterilant for use in male dogs that will be hitting the market on 12/21. The presentation will discuss how it works, and how it’s administered, and also address topics that have come up on the Association of Shelter Veterinarians listerserv, including permanence and safety. The discussion will finish up with tips for successful implementation, and real-life examples of how animal welfare groups are currently using Zeuterin. Shelter medicine rounds phone number is 1 712 775-7300. When Prompted enter Participant access code 756382 then press the # sign to enter the conference.

The URL for the shelter medicine rounds on-line meeting room is: http://tinyurl.com/sheltermedrounds.
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That doesn't sound very unbiased to me :rolleyes: but thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
 
Lissarae06 said:
That doesn't sound very unbiased to me :rolleyes: but thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
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Heh, I was gonna say the same thing. It sounds like they prefer non-invasive instead of looking for "the best," which isn't exactly unbiased.
 
:laugh: I was thinking the same thing...

I used this position paper as a reference for the literature review I did on this product.. I just wish they used internal citations for their info.. It made trying to find the original contributer frustrating!
 
We briefly mentioned Zeuterin in our repro class this semester. If I remember correctly, I think it's only approved for dogs that are 3-10 months old. Sterilization effectiveness is 99.6%, and testosterone production is reduced by 41-52%, according to our class slides. She said it could be a good alternative for young dogs that couldn't undergo general anesthesia. Other than that, we didn't really talk much about it.
 
They were talked about in Repro... they can be used to suppress fertility in breeding animals. It shuts down the whole hormonal cycle though so it wouldn't be much good for people concerned about the hormonal effects of neutering and spaying. Plus I don't think it's cheap. I think the only real use is for people that have very valuable animals that they want to breed in the future or for treating hormonal conditions. Otherwise why not just do it surgically and have it done with.

(Google "deslorelin dog" and the third result is a review paper if you want more info!)
 
I think it could also be an interesting option for people who don't want their animals to go under anesthesia. If it could be shown to work in many species, maybe zoos would be interested? Some female zoo animals are on birth control, and this would be much easier - you don't have to worry about whether or not the animal swallowed a pill.

If a cheaper version could be made (new synthetic route? New type of matrix?), this could be a very interesting option for population control in feral animals. True, a permanent option would be better, but think how much more efficient Trap-Neuter-Return programs would be if vets could just give a chip injection instead of putting the animal under anestheisa, doing the surgery, post-op care, giving post-op care instructions to the caretakers, etc.
 
washbucket said:
I think it could also be an interesting option for people who don't want their animals to go under anesthesia.
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This was going to be my response.
In higher income areas, there are plenty of people who don't like the idea of anesthesia and would be willing to lay out the bucks IF the option is presented to them. I was certainly never told of this option by my vet 3 years ago. I wouldn't have chosen it, but I KNOW people who would.

Like I said, a win-win. A theoretically, slightly safer method, and more revenue for the practice.

I think people should be given options, and as long as the animal is not being harmed, as in this case, let the owner's decide.

I know from an animal control/shelter med perspective, this option sucks because non-compliance with follow up will lead to more unaltered boys out there, but I guess the people who choose the more expensive option would not be the ones to let their dogs roam,
 
StartingoverVet said:
Like I said, a win-win. A theoretically, slightly safer method, and more revenue for the practice.

I think people should be given options, and as long as the animal is not being harmed, as in this case, let the owner's decide.
,
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Options :thumbup:
 
From the Zeuterin website... " However, the needle used for this procedure is a very fine 28 gauge needle that people over forty may even find hard to see, minimizing that pain."

Jeez this sucks for our vets over 40. Guess they will have to use a magnifying glass to perform the surgery.
 
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