Buying a Puppy
Introduction
On May 19 a major announcement was made by the FDA in regards to the process of having a dog neutered . The announcement was the first injectable sterilization for dogs has been approved. The drug that is injected is called Neutersol and sterilizes the dog to prevent reproducing. This drug is manufactured by the Addison Biological Laboratory, Inc and is currently only approved for dogs. An announcement is expected for an approval of the injection for male cats in the future.
The Positive Effect
There will be many positive effects of this new procedure. One of the major benefits of this procedure will be for animal shelters. Although costs of the drug and administration of the injection have not been seen, one can easily imagine training staff to give the injection. This could free up time for the licensed veterinarian at the shelter to tend to other matters. This would never be possible as the process of neutering a dog is a surgical procedure that staff members could not perform.
Another benefit is to dog owners as many worry about the surgical procedure being done when it is time to neuter their dog. The process of neutering a dog is very safe but as with any surgery there are risks involved. The injection will be a viable alternative to those that prefer not to have surgery completed on their dog.
The major benefit will of course be the potential to more dogs being stopped from reproducing. Whether this comes about from decreased cost of neutering or another means, the end result the injection should be trying to obtain is an increased instance of neutered dogs.
Potential Issues
At first glance this new procedure looks to be a major step in the right direction of reducing the dog population. As with any new method there are may questions that still remain and potential issues that will arise discussed here.
One potential issue to using the injection is with the behavior benefits of having a male neutered. When having a male neutered through a surgical procedure it often eliminates many undesired male behaviors such as aggression and marking. When the injection is used these behaviors are not reduced because the testosterone production is not reduced.
Another potential issue is that with health. When a male is surgically neutered it reduces the dogs probability of having male related diseases such as prostate disease and testicular tumors. The injection does not reduce the male dogs chances to have these health issues and actually potentially opens a new problem. When initial testing of the injection was completed it is noted that if the injection is not done properly, it could cause ulcers upon the scrotum.
Final Thought
Although the injection is a step in the right direction it still lacks in several areas. Until the a solution to issues with unwanted male behavior and reducing male genetic diseases are addressed, this will not be a viable solution for most pet owners. One of the biggest benefits of this announcement is that it will encourage more research and eventually additional methods will be produced for helping solve the pet overpopulation issue that affects us all.
Additional Resources
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Additional Information of the use of Neutersol can be found at the
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