| dc.description.abstract | Chemical castration using GnRH agonists has proven to be an effective method of rendering dogs
infertile as a reversible alternative to orchiectomy. However, little is known about the behavioral
effects of chemical castration. In this study, the effects of surgical and chemical castration on
aggression, sexual behavior, play behavior and fear/insecurity in male dogs were assessed. In
order to do so, twenty-three dogs where chemically castrated using implants which slowly release
the GnRH agonist Deslorelin (Suprelorin®), and 18 dogs were surgically castrated. Their behavior
was assessed on the day of, but prior to treatment and 4-5 months after treatment by means of a
behavior test and a questionnaire that was filled out by the dog-owners.
No significant changes in fear/insecurity and aggression were seen after treatment using the
behavior tests in both groups. However, many owners did observe a decrease in aggressive
behavior towards other male dogs (suprelorin implant group: 43.5%, surgical castration group:
47.0%). Moreover, no significant differences could be found between groups concerning the
individual results of the behavior test and the results of the perceptive questions concerning
aggressive behavior and fear/insecurity. Play behavior increased significantly in the suprelorin
group as well as the surgical castration group, both groups showed a similar increase (p=0.008 and
p= 0.041 respectively). Additionally, the owners of the dogs in both groups observed a decrease of
sexual behavior towards estrus bitches. However, significantly more owners of the surgical
castration group noticed this decrease, compared to the owners of the suprelorin implant group
(p=0.018). A decrease in sexual behavior was not observed during the behavior tests.
Overall, this study shows that surgical and chemical castration in dogs induce similar effects with
regard to aggression, fear/insecurity and play behavior. However, according to our study, a greater
effect on sexual behavior can be expected following orchiectomy compared to the changes after
chemical castration.
Although this study provides some interesting information about the behavioral effects of surgical
and chemical castration, more research is needed in order to make a clear statement about the
degree in which surgical castration and chemical castration lead to similar results. | |
