The desire to reproduce is inherent in all animals. But often the period of sexual heat in a cat brings a lot of trouble not only to the owner, but also to the pet itself. The animal becomes restless, aggressive, and leaves foul-smelling marks. And what can we say about the ever-increasing number of cats in cities!
That is why it is often necessary to resort to castration (or sterilization, if we are talking about cats). If the owner does not want to subject the pet to surgery, then the chemical castration method will help. Thanks to it, you can stop all the urges to reproduce in your pet.
Chemical castration of cats is considered a more humane option compared to surgery, because surgery under general anesthesia is always associated with a high risk. And complete post-operative care is simply necessary for your pet. But there are also disadvantages to chemical castration of cats.
Pros and cons of the method
During medical castration, a hormonal drug is introduced into the animal's body to suppress sexual desire. As a result, the pet loses all functions associated with reproduction.
At the same time, chemical castration of cats and chemical sterilization of cats are very similar to each other.
There are several methods of the procedure:
- contraception using medications (injections or tablets);
- implant - special substances are injected under the skin;
- radiation exposure.
The advantages of the procedure are:
- Reversibility. The process can be stopped at any time. If the animal owner decides that he would like a kitten from his pet, it is enough to stop administering the drug. Owners of elderly cats often do this when they want to alleviate an upcoming loss.
- There are no risks of surgical intervention - infections, allergies to anesthesia drugs, difficulties with suture healing.
- Painless. Undoubtedly, the chemical method causes the cat less pain and suffering than the operating method.
Disadvantages of the procedure:
- The method is based on hormonal drugs, the effect of which on the body, as a rule, has not yet been fully studied. In addition, they have side effects and often lead to oncology, which can only be treated surgically.
- Duration in time. When choosing a chemical castration method, you need to understand that it will last the entire fertile period of the animal.
- Drugs for chemical castration often lead to excess weight gain and hair loss, in contrast to the classical method of castration.
- The cost of chemical castration will be higher than a one-time operation, since you will have to constantly buy medications.
To choose a specific type of procedure, it is necessary to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each method. It is also worth understanding that the chemical method has not yet been sufficiently studied, and therefore there is no information about its possible consequences.
Rules
The chemical sterilization procedure involves soaking instruments in a chemical solution prepared according to instructions, with the required proportions. This stage is always preceded by disinfection, pre-sterilization cleaning and drying.
Disinfection and pre-sterilization cleaning of manicure instruments: how to choose a disinfectant and prepare the solution correctly
When immersing, the instruments must be completely dry so that the water present on them does not lead to dilution and a change in the concentration of the working solution.
Chemical sterilization of instruments requires the same sequence of preliminary processes as in the case of heat treatment in an autoclave or dry-heat oven.
To perform the procedure, you will need a working solution, one container with a lid, as for disinfection, and two containers for washing. Also tweezers, gloves, napkins. For further storage of manicure tools you will need to choose from:
- UV sterilizer;
- Sterile cabinet;
- Sterile box or box with a lid.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- Pour the prepared working solution of the required concentration into a container with a lid;
- The other two contain distilled or drinking purified water;
- All procedures are performed using sterile gloves;
- After drying, pre-disinfected and cleaned instruments are placed in a solution for chemical treatment for the required exposure time. Cover with a lid;
- After the time has elapsed, use tweezers and wear sterile gloves to remove and place the instruments in distilled water and rinse;
- Transfer to a third container with distilled or drinking water, rinse to remove any remaining solution;
- We take out the instruments, wipe them off with a sterile napkin, and place them on a second napkin;
- After wiping and drying all the instruments, we transfer them to a cabinet, UV sterilizer or sterile box with a lid for storage.
All manipulations are performed with sterile forceps and disinfected gloves. Instruments are immersed in the solution in an open or disassembled form. There should be at least 1 cm of the drug above them after immersion. If there are complex connections or locking parts, you can close and open them after entering the liquid.
A sterile cabinet or storage box should be lined with a sterile sheet. In the UV sterilizer, we place everything on shelves to ensure even access of light.
You can store the tool in a specialized cabinet or box for three days, then you need to take everything out again and process it again, even if the materials were not used.
Contraception with drugs
Medical castration implies:
- Taking tablets or drops.
- Animal injections.
The pills used are “Sex Barrier”, “Contra-Sex”, “Cat Bayun”, “Sex Control” and others. This is the most economical method of contraception. And it comes to the rescue in situations where the pet’s sexual desire needs to be suspended only for a while. But the constant use of hormonal drugs leads to the development of cancerous tumors, and those cats who have been diagnosed with liver problems should not use them at all. It is not for nothing that such drugs (“Sex Barrier” and others) are prohibited in many countries, and some even provide for criminal prosecution for their use to reduce the reproductive function of pets. Unfortunately, in our country, the packaging of these products does not contain reliable information about the side effects of the substances included in their composition.
Radiation sterilization
Chemical sterilization (castration) of male cats consists of irradiating the genital area with radioactive isotopes. The remaining parts of the body are covered with a special apron. The advantages of this method are:
- painlessness - outwardly has no effect on the body at all;
- many point to the relative harmlessness of the method, however, this is a controversial statement; however, when compared with other methods of sterilization, irradiation is indeed relatively safe.
This procedure is expensive and there is very little equipment for it in our country.
Side effects
The medicine used as an injection is Covinan, but it is used for cats. According to scientific research, a tumor in response to the administration of such drugs can form in any organ of the animal whose activity is regulated by hormones. As for medications for cats, they can cause the development of diabetes mellitus and impair the functioning of the endocrine system. It is impossible to predict how this or that medicine will affect you, but you will have to be treated for pathologies for the rest of your life.
So, it should be recognized that the simplicity of the method of chemical castration of cats is offset by serious side effects, the onset of which is often difficult to foresee.
How it works
Synthetic analogues of specific steroid hormones do not affect the ovaries themselves. Progestins work at a “higher level” by controlling the activity of the pituitary gland, a gland located in the brain.
The pituitary gland stops producing luteinizing hormone, which is why follicles in the ovaries do not mature and estrogen does not release. No estrogens - no estrus.
Indian experiment
In 2011, Indian veterinarians made an amazing discovery. While solving the problem of limiting the number of stray animals, they discovered a “miracle” remedy that has a contraceptive effect. It turned out to be calcium chloride, previously actively used in medicine and veterinary medicine for other purposes.
This substance began to be injected into the testes of animals. The ideal dosage was 0.25 calcium chloride at a concentration of 10%. Five minutes after the administration of the substance, the animals showed minor signs of discomfort; in some, the testes swelled. But after a while all the unwanted reactions stopped.
As a result, sperm production in animals decreased, thus reducing the number of stray cats. However, the method requires further study.
Implant method
The most gentle way to chemically castrate cats is to implant a chip under the skin of the animal at the withers. The chip itself is a small cylinder, about the size of a grain of rice, and the medicine dissolves over time.
The drug in the implant begins to work after about six months, and its effect lasts up to one and a half years. This is the main drawback of the product. Mating a cat within a six-month period after administration of the drug will lead to the appearance of offspring.
"Suprelorin" - a drug for non-surgical castration
Currently, the drug “Suprelorin” is used for medical castration of cats. It is injected under the skin of the animal in the form of an implant. The active ingredient is deslorelin. The drug is produced by the French company Virbac. “Suprelorin” for cats is supplied to Russia in a dosage of 4.7 mg.
Deslorelin in the implant is combined with a fat base, thereby achieving the effect of slow release of the active substance. Thus, deslorelin is gradually absorbed into the blood. The effect of the drug is that under its influence the production of sex hormones stops, both male in cats and female in cats.
Experts, noting the benefits of deslorelin, say that it has no side effects, unlike other substances with similar effects.
When should surgery not be performed?
Along with recommendations on the timing of the operation, there are also restrictions. Thus, cats are not sterilized:
- During heat. During this period, hormonal levels change and surgery can cause a number of diseases. In addition, the animal’s immunity is weakened at this time and the recovery time can increase significantly. It is best to perform the operation 2-3 weeks after the end of estrus.
- During pregnancy. During this period, only emergency sterilization is allowed due to the inability to bear kittens or the discovery of a serious illness in the cat.
- After lambing. If the cat does not feed the offspring, then sterilization can be carried out a month after birth, otherwise not earlier than 60 days. The exception is for reasons for emergency sterilization.
Features of the use of "Suprelorin"
Since the drug was originally produced for the sterilization of dogs, its use for chemical castration of cats has its own characteristics. The active substance exhibits its activity 14-30 days after administration. The amount of testosterone in the animal decreases, sexual function is completely inhibited. The cat stops marking territory, showing aggression, and making inviting sounds. But it is impossible to give the exact duration of the implant. Usually this is a period from 6 to 37 months. After removal of the implant, sexual function is restored within 3 months.
Side effects include swelling at the site where the chip was implanted, as well as shrinkage of the testes. The testicles may also become swollen.
Veterinarians advise using this method of castration on adult animals. No studies have been conducted on the effects of drugs on young individuals. Each animal owner decides which castration method to choose independently. It is important to weigh the pros and cons of each method before making a decision.
