Chemical Castration

Did you know that there is a reversible alternative to surgical castration which allows you to see the effects of surgical castration without the permanence of surgery?

There are many reasons why people choose to castrate their dog. From behavious such as urine marking, roaming and hypersexuality, unwanted social behaviours and testosterone related diseases. 

Why may you not want to castrate your dog?

• You may be unsure how castration will affect your dogs behaviour.

•  You may not want your dog to undergo a general anaethesthetic.  

• You might want to breed from your dog in the future.

For a lot of people, surgical castration is a good choice for their dog, but it is not the only choice. There is an easy to give implant which provides temporary castration for your male dog. The implant is a similar size to a microchip and contains deslorelin in a small wax like cylinder. 

How does deslorelin work?

Deslorelin mimics a naturally occuring hormone, called GnRH, which is normally produced in the body and is responsible for a sequence of hormones stimulating the sex organs. Normally the testicles would produce testosterone, however after the deslorelin is implanted under the skin, the testosterone production is inhibited. This means the dog becomes infertile with a reduced sex drive. The drug is slowly released from the implant over time to sustain the effect. 

How long does the implant last?

Ask your vet to talk you through what implant best suits you and your dog. There are two strengths available for any size dog, one which lasts for 6 months and a second which lasts for atleast 12 months, although the implant can last longer. 

When given the lower strength implant, 80% return to full fertility in 12 months and 98% by 18 months. The higher strength implant sees a return to full fertility in 68% by 24 months and 95% by 30 months. You will notice your dogs testicles reducing in size when the implant is effective - returning to normal size is a good indicator that the implant is starting to wear off. 

Can you use them repeatedly?

Yes, there is good safety data and many examples of dogs who have successfully had repeated successive implants. There are also very few side effects associated with its use. 

Will it stop unwanted behaviours?

The implants wil suppress testosterone production and any behaviour which is being driven by the testosterone levels. Any behaviour which has already been learnt will not change following implantation and we recommend speaking with your vet and/or a behaviourist to work on improving the unwanted behaviours.

Visit: https://www.morethanoneway.co.uk/ for more information on Chemical castration.