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This information is provided by
Provet for educational purposes only.
You should seek the advice of your
veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the
diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.
Removal of the testes
(castration, also called neutering, orchidectomy or gelding) is a common
procedure in veterinary practice and is recommended for a wide range of
species - but why ? Castration is a relatively simple surgical
procedure with few complications, but it is a major decision to take because
it has important effects on the individual, including :
- it prevents the individual from reproducing
- it affects growth
- it causes physical changes in the body
- it causes behavioural changes
In farm animals castration is carried
out for several reasons :
- to increase growth rate
- to improve the quality of meat - meat from entire male animals (eg
boars) often has a very strong, unpleasant smell and taste
- to reduce dangerous behavioural traits - for example, entire bulls can
be dangerous to handle compared to neutered bullocks.
- to prevent unwanted breeding - farmers only want to breed from the best
genetic stock
In horses castration is carried out :
- to prevent unwanted matings
- to calm down their behaviour - entire stallions can be much more
difficult to handle than geldings
- for medical reasons - eg trauma to the testicles
In dogs castration is recommended for
several reasons :
- to prevent unwanted puppies
- to modify antisocial behavioural traits such as :
- aggression towards other dogs
- mounting people
- roaming
- urine marking in houses
- for medical reasons, including :
- injuries to the testicles
- cancer of the testicles - common in older dogs
- torsion of the testicle
- retained testicles (also called cryptorchidism or ectopic testes)
- when there is a perineal hernia/rupture present
- to treat prostate disease (hypertrophy or cancer) which are
sex-hormone linked
- to treat tumours around the anus (adenomas) which are sex-hormone
linked
Cats are usually neutered to modify
undesirable behaviour especially :
- fighting other cats in the neighbourhood
- to reduce the pungent smell of tom cat urine
- to reduce spraying and territory marking in the home
- to prevent unwanted kittens
- for medical reasons - eg bite wounds involving the testicles
Rabbits and other small
mammals are usually castrated to :
- prevent unwanted offspring
- prevent aggressive behaviour between individuals
- for medical reasons eg trauma to the testicles
The decision to castrate an animal will depend to a large extent upon local
environmental circumstances and if you have a male animal your veterinarian
will advise you about whether or not you should have him neutered
Updated October 2013
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