Chile has launched what is billed as the first vaccine to sterilize dogs for a year, and it will be sold in dozens of countries.
The injections prevent sexual behavior and reproduction, offering an alternative to irreversible castration, the developers say.
“This is the world’s first vaccine of this type for dogs,” said Leonardo Saenz, from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Chile.
The researcher and his team have been working on the vaccine since 2009, and distribution began in the South American country this month.
This stimulates antibodies and stops the production of sex hormones for a year in both male and female dogs.
“Everything is blocked, including sexual activity and fertility,” Saenz said.
The Egalitte vaccine is patented in 40 countries, including the United States, Argentina, Brazil, and the European Union.
In Chile, a shot costs $50.
Ivan Gutierrez, a 27-year-old student, took his dog Francesco to a veterinary clinic in Santiago to receive an injection.
“I really didn’t want him to have surgery,” he said.
He’s not alone in his concerns about neutering.
Mariela Del Saz, a veterinarian at the clinic, said, “Most owners are afraid of surgery,” pointing out the risk of cardiopulmonary arrest.
Another way to temporarily castrate a dog is to insert a hormone implant under the skin, but “there may be side effects,” Saenz said.
© Agence France-Presse
