Written by Nicholas Cortes and Alexander Villegas
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Findley is a lucky dog. The tiny white and brown Chilean Terrier was one of the first dogs in the world to be neutered without the use of a knife.
The surgery was performed at Santiago’s home while the dog was held by its owner and fed treats during and after, before running off as if nothing had happened.
There was no sedation or surgery, just an injection of an immunocastration vaccine called Egarit, the developers said. Leonardo Saenz, a veterinarian and professor at the University of Chile who developed the vaccine, said the vaccine works by blocking reproductive hormones and is reversible.
“If[that hormone]is blocked, the gonadotropin is not released, so the sex hormones are not released, and the animal becomes castrated,” he explained.
The vaccine can be used for both men and women and costs about 50,000 Chilean pesos ($54). A veterinarian’s prescription and evaluation is required to ensure your dog is a suitable candidate.
Saenz said the product could also be useful for a wider range of animal castrations, as it is less invasive and complex than surgical castrations.
“It’s much easier to inject, and more animals can be vaccinated if reproductive control is needed,” he said.
Findlay’s owner, Tamara Zamorano, chose the procedure because of its simplicity and the ability to reverse castration.
“I was a little scared about the other treatment option, which is castration,” Zamorano said. “In addition to being simple, it’s reversible, so if you want to breed him, you can do that when the time is right.”
Findlay did not comment on the procedure, but did squirm a little during the injection. He then happily licked the veterinarian’s hand and continued with his day.
(1 dollar = 923.7900 Chilean Pesos)
(Reporting by Nicolas Cortes; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
