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Pet overpopulation is a big problem and a concern for dog owners. Castration is the most common and one of the most ancient ways of controlling pet populations. Now dog owners and veterinarians have an option to the traditional surgical method. Neutersol® (zinc gluconate neutralized by arginine) is an injectable solution indicated for chemical sterilization in 3 to 10 month old male dogs. The drug is administered as one injection per testicle and the dose corresponds to testicular width. Neutersol® only needs to be administered once, is permanent/irreversible, safe, and >99% effective. The drug produces its effects by causing aspermia (no semen ejaculated), azoospermia (no sperm in ejaculate), necrospermia (sperm in ejaculate are motionless/dead), or oligospermia (less than 20 million sperm/ml). In the majority of the dogs in the field study, aspermia or azoospermia occurred. Neutersol® also reduces testosterone levels by an average range of 41-52%. As with surgical castration, secondary male characteristics may still be displayed.
Neutersol® is safe for the dog. It is less invasive than surgery and no general anesthetic is required, although a dog may need to be sedated in order to provide the level of restraint needed to properly inject Neutersol®. It is injected using a very fine needle to reduce the discomfort for the dog. 97.7% of dogs in the field study did not vocalize upon insertion of the needle. Neutersol® is also more convenient than surgery for the dog owner. The procedure may be performed on an outpatient basis, there are no sutures to remove, and it takes a fraction of the time of surgery.
As with any drug, side effects may occur. Mild, transient swelling of the testes is expected. Other side effects are uncommon: scrotal pain when testes were palpated (6.3%), neutrophilia (6.3%), scrotal ulceration (0.4%), anorexia (4.1%), diarrhea (1.9%), and lethargy (2.2%). Be sure to discuss possible side effects your veterinarian and ask for the Neutersol® client information sheet.
