A Survey of Veterinarian Attitudes Toward Prepubertal Desexing of Dogs and Cats in the Australian Capital Territory

Unlocking perspectives on surgical sterilization in dogs and cats: A comprehensive study among Thai veterinary professionals

Gaining insights into the opinions and attitudes of veterinarians is essential for enhancing the sterilization rate, given their influential role in guiding pet owners. This study investigated the attitudes and practices of Thai veterinarians concerning surgical sterilization in dogs and cats. The survey was conducted from August 2022 to December 2022 and distributed through online and on-site questionnaires across all regions of Thailand. Seven hundred twenty-four veterinarians participated. A strong inclination toward sterilization for population control with a notable preference for female animals was revealed. The factors related to the necessity of sterilization in the opinion of Thai veterinarians were gender, age of veterinarians, and animal sex (P<0.05). Male veterinarians tended to assign less importance to sterilization, especially for male dogs (OR = 0.824), compared to their female counterparts. Older veterinarians tended to prioritize sterilization less than younger ones (OR = 0.985). Regarding animal's sex, a preference for sterilizing females over males in both dogs and cats (OR = 0.291) was observed. Encouraging sterilization should be promoted equally among veterinarians of both genders, with particular emphasis on older male veterinary practitioners. Most veterinarians recommended sterilization between 4 and 6 months for female cats and 7-10 months for male cats, male dogs and female dogs. Overall, mean agreement scores for prepubertal gonadectomy were significantly higher (P<0.05) for female dogs and cats, and the only significant factor associated with these scores was the animal's sex. Veterinarians expressed more disagreement with prepubertal sterilization in males compared to females, with an OR of 0.33. There were some concerns in prepubertal sterilization such as growth and development problems, anesthesia risks, and urinary tract disorders. These insights observed in Thailand hold potential implications for other countries facing similar challenges in effectively managing pet overpopulation.

The Implications of Policies on the Welfare of Free-Roaming Cats in New Zealand

A lack of national legislation for cat management in New Zealand poses challenges for ensuring that practices are consistently humane and effective. In this paper, we review the current cat management policies in New Zealand and the implications they have on the welfare of free-roaming cats (from here on, referred to as 'cats'). Our review demonstrates that there are multiple policy mechanisms used to manage cats in New Zealand for a variety of reasons, including animal welfare, pest management, and nuisance, and that these different policies have both positive and negative implications for cat welfare. We provide context pertaining to New Zealanders' acceptance of current or future laws and regulations and compare the New Zealand policy landscape with other countries, with a particular emphasis on Australia, to identify potential directions and outcomes of increased regulation. We discuss the future of the regulatory environment in New Zealand, including the need to better understand the impact of policies on cats, people, and other animals in urban, rural, and wild spaces. We further discuss the need to better understand the cat-human relationship for future policy decisions and offer a solution based on national cat legislation.

A shift towards early-age desexing of cats under veterinary care in Australia

The global problem of unowned domestic cats, driven by their phenomenal reproductive success, carries significant economic, animal welfare and biodiversity costs. Desexing owned cats prior to puberty prevents unwanted litters that contribute to unowned cat populations. The prevalence and predictors of desexing, and the age at which surgery was carried out were investigated using anonymized electronic patient records in the VetCompass Australia database of cats presented to veterinary practices. Of 52,941 cats born between 2010 and 2017, 83.6% were desexed. Among 7463 desexed females, 21.5% had been desexed by 4 months of age, 59.8% by 6 months and 85.4% by 1 year. Sex, breed, location and socioeconomic indices significantly influenced desexing status and age at surgery. Cats born between 2010 and 2017 had greater odds of being desexed than cats born between 1995and 2009 at each age cut-off (≤ 4 months [OR 1.76, CI₉₅ 1.58-1.97], ≤ 6 months [OR 1.50, CI₉₅ 1.38-1.62] and ≤ 1 year [OR 2.33, CI₉₅ 2.11-2.57] p < 0.001). Most cats presented to veterinarians in Australia are desexed. Compared with cats born before 2010, cats born later are significantly younger at desexing but, even so, many cats would have reached sexual maturity before surgery. These findings will inform the design of front-line strategies promoting prepubertal desexing and they demonstrate, for the first time, a shift towards desexing younger cats.

French veterinarians' opinions and practices regarding early neutering of cats: a convenience sampling survey interpreted in an international context

BACKGROUND

Although data are still needed, early neutering of cats appears to be as safe as neutering at the traditional age of six months or older and beneficial to the individual and the population. The aim of this observational study was to obtain an overview of veterinarians' opinions and practices about feline early neutering (ie, until the age of four months).

METHODS

In this retrospective work, a web survey was distributed to French practitioners.

RESULTS

A total of 609 veterinarians returned the survey. Majority of the veterinarians (56 per cent) reported never performing early neutering, 42 per cent reported performing it inconsistently, and 2 per cent reported consistently performing it. When carried out, it was mainly on kittens from commercial breeding, following breeders' request, and performed at the age of three months. An overwhelming majority (93 per cent) of veterinarians performing early neutering reported no incidents. Veterinarians who did not practise early neutering neutered mostly (81 per cent) kittens from four to six months of age.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, early neutering is still not a common practice among French veterinarians. Opinions differed as to its advantages and disadvantages, although reported incidents were scarce. Veterinarians who do not perform early neutering reported a lack of interest in this practice rather than reluctance.

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Agonist Implants for Male Dog Fertility Suppression: A Review of Mode of Action, Efficacy, Safety, and Uses

At present, only surgical sterilization is available for veterinarians and pet owners seeking suppression of fertility in male dogs, in most countries. An alternative contraceptive alternative approach is GnRH releasing implants that desensitize the pituitary to the stimulatory effects of GnRH and thereby block testicular function (testosterone and sperm production). Two GnRH agonists (deslorelin and azagly-nafarelin) have been researched in controlled release formulations for this purpose. A deslorelin-releasing biodegradable implant, marketed under the name Suprelorin®, has been available in Australia and New Zealand since 2007, the European Union (EU) since 2008, and received regulatory approval in China and Mexico in late 2019. Two versions of the implant are available, one labeled for a minimum of 6 months of fertility suppression in male dogs, and the other for a minimum of 12 months in male dogs. Another GnRH agonist (azagly-nafarelin) was also included in a solid implant (Gonazon®). Research results showed it delivered 6-months to 1 year of suppressed fertility; however, it is not commercialized. This review paper summarizes research on the mechanism of action for these technologies and compiles and interprets the research on efficacy and safety. New findings on usage of the deslorelin releasing implant in countries where veterinarians and pet owners have this option is shared. Research on off-label use of the product in male dogs is also reviewed. This review aims to aid in the evaluation of the deslorelin releasing implant as an adjunct or alternative for surgical sterilization of male dogs.

The Cat Desexing Policies and Activities of Private Veterinary Practices in Queensland

Cats are prolific breeders, and if most cats were desexed prior to puberty, numbers of unwanted cats and kittens, and hence numbers entering shelters, would be expected to decline. Although traditionally in Australia it has been reported that 90% of veterinary clients' cats are desexed, there are still hundreds of cats and kittens that end up unwanted and in shelter care annually. In this study, we surveyed Queensland veterinary practices to describe ages that veterinarians are recommending cats should be desexed at, ages at which desexing actually occurs, what veterinary practices are doing to promote desexing of cats, and what veterinarians see as the barriers to desexing of cats before puberty. A questionnaire was developed and sent to all veterinary practices in Queensland. The response rate was 50%. Almost 45% of respondents recommended desexing at the traditional age of 6 months, which is later than puberty in most cats; for more than 56% of practices, the actual average age at which desexing occurred was at least 6 months; and in a substantial proportion of practices, when desexed, high percentages of cats had already had litters. Most practices took steps to encourage their clients to have their cats desexed, and most thought these steps were effective. The results from this study suggest that although veterinarians generally agree that cats should be desexed prior to having their first litter, recommended and actual desexing ages are commonly too late to ensure this is achieved. Better understanding is required about both the likely impact of more veterinary practices recommending and conducting desexing before puberty on numbers of unwanted cats and numbers surrendered to shelters, and the drivers of age at which cats are desexed. This could inform strategies to reduce numbers of unwanted cats.

Regulatory Compliance in Online Dog Advertisements in Australia

Simple Summary

As Australians increasingly purchase their companion dogs online, Australian state and territory authorities are faced with the challenge of ensuring online sales adhere to local regulations. Using webscraping techniques, we analysed 1735 unique advertisements for dogs and puppies from Gumtree—one of Australia’s most popular trading platforms—and benchmarked levels of microchipping, desexing and breeder identification numbers in each state and territory. We found an increased likelihood of microchipping in states requiring microchipping prior to sale and inclusion of chip numbers in advertisements. Older animals who were microchipped were more likely to be desexed, and advertisements placed by breeders who were selling vaccinated puppies were more likely to include a breeder registration number in their ad than sellers who identified themselves as owners. We recommend regulatory bodies use this data to make evidence-based decisions on future regulation and use this benchmark to monitor effectiveness of any changes.

Abstract

In Australia, each state and territory authority implements and enforces regulations regarding dog management—including the breeding and sale of dogs online—which is increasingly becoming the most popular method of obtaining pets. The aims for this study included: 1. Benchmarking regulatory compliance in online dog advertisements in Australia, and, 2. Understanding factors associated with regulatory compliance in online advertisements. We collected advertisements for dogs and puppies from Gumtree—one of Australia’s most popular online trading platforms—on two separate days, two weeks apart (25 March and 8 April 2019). A total of 1735 unique advertisements were included in the dataset. Chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for microchipping, desexing and breeder identification number, and compliance levels. State laws requiring animals to be microchipped prior to sale and the inclusion of chip numbers in advertisements were found to be the biggest factor in increasing likelihood of microchipped animals in Gumtree advertisements, while desexing was more common in microchipped and older animals. The online ad was more likely to include a breeder ID if the dog was young, vaccinated, and advertised by a breeder rather than an owner. The findings from this study will assist regulators to make evidence-based decisions on managing online advertisements for companion animals. In the future, the benchmarking this study has presented will allow future analysis of the effectiveness of regulation changes.