by By Nicolas Cortes and Alexander Villegas
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Findley is a happy dog. The small white and brown Chilean terrier is one of the first dogs in the world to be neutered without having to go under the knife.
The procedure took place at his home in Santiago while he was held by his owner and given treats during and after, and he later scurried away as if nothing had happened.
There was no sedation or surgery, just a simple injection of what the developers say is an immune castration vaccine called egalitte. Leonardo Saenz, a veterinarian and professor at the University of Chile who developed the vaccine, says it blocks the hormone responsible for reproduction and is reversible.
“If we have blocked (this hormone), we do not release gonadotropin and therefore no sex hormones and the animal is in a state of castration,” he explained.
The vaccine can be used for both men and women and costs about 50,000 Chilean pesos ($54). To ensure the dog is a suitable candidate, a prescription and evaluation by a veterinarian is required.
Saenz said the product could also help castrate animals on a larger scale because it is less invasive and complicated than surgical castration.
“One injection is much easier and you can vaccinate a larger number of animals if you need to do reproductive control,” he said.
The simplicity and ability to reverse neutering is what persuaded Findley’s owner, Tamara Zamorano, to opt for the procedure.
“The other treatment, the castration, we were a little scared,” Zamorano said. “Aside from being simple, it is reversible. So if we want to breed him at the right time, we can do that.”
Findley didn’t comment on the procedure, but he squirmed a bit during the injection. Later, he happily licked the vet’s hand and continued with his day.
($1 = 923.7900 Chilean pesos)
(Reporting by Nicolas Cortes; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
