36. Preventive and therapeutic orchiectomy

What are some indications for preventative orchiectomy?

Animals that shouldn't be bred (congenital anomalies, temperament issues), to reduce masculine behaviour (territorial marking, wandering)

What are some indications for therapeutic orchiectomy?

Testicular tumours, cryptorchidism, prostate neoplasia, paraphimosis, orchitis, epididymitis, testicular torsion, perianal neoplasia

What are some benefits of surgical castration in male animals?

Reduced risk of testicular neoplasia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or prostatitis

What are some potential risks associated with surgical castration?

Increased risk of cruciate ligament rupture, increased ligament and joint problems, obesity, and diabetes

What are the two main surgical techniques for castration in dogs?

Open tunic technique and closed tunic technique

What is the difference between the open and closed tunic techniques in canine castration?

Whether or not the vaginal process is cut

Where is the skin incision typically made for canine castration?

Midline prescrotal

What is a potential advantage and disadvantage of the closed tunic method in canine castration?

Lower risk of peritoneal contamination but less secure ligation

How is castration typically performed in cats?

Ligation or tying biological knots, often with the skin not closed and a scrotal incision possible

What are some potential complications of surgical castration?

Scrotal bruising and swelling, haemorrhage, infection

What are some alternative surgical castration techniques?

Laparoscopic cryptorchid castration, vasectomy

What is the purpose of medical castration?

To try reversible castration before surgical intervention, particularly to assess behavioural changes

What type of drugs are used for medical castration?

GnRH agonists, progestogens, prolactin, androgens, anti-androgens

What is an example of a GnRH agonist used for medical castration?

Deslorelin (Suprelorin)

How is deslorelin administered and what is its effect?

Subcutaneous implant.

It causes an initial increase followed by reduction of LH and testosterone, causing infertility within 6 weeks

What is another GnRH agonist used for medical castration?

Nafarelin

How is nafarelin administered and what is its effect?

Daily subcutaneous injection to decrease testosterone, causing infertility within 3 weeks

What is an example of a progestogen used for medical castration?

Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA)

How is MPA administered and what is its effect?

Subcutaneous injection, suppresses gonadotropin release and stops spermatogenesis

What are some potential side effects of MPA?

Alopecia, thinning of the skin

How does prolactin affect sperm?

Injection causes asthenozoospermia (reduced motility) and teratozoospermia (abnormal morphology)

How do androgens work for medical castration?

Systemic administration reduces local androgen production in the testes via negative feedback, leading to atrophy

What are two types of anti-androgens used for medical castration?

Cyproterone acetate (steroidal) and flutamide (non-steroidal)

How do cyproterone acetate and flutamide work?

They block androgen receptors

What is immunosterilisation?

A method of contraception under development that uses antibodies against GnRH, LH, or spermatozoal antigens

What is asthenozoospermia?

Reduced sperm motility.

What is teratozoospermia?

Abnormal sperm morphology.

What is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)?

Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.

What is prostatitis?

Inflammation of the prostate gland.

What is a biological knot in feline castration?

Tying the spermatic cord around itself.