Introduction
- Surgical removal of scrotal testicles.
Print off the Owner Factsheet on neutering 
to give to your client.
Uses
- Prophylactic neutering of male cats to inhibit fertility and reduce male sexual behavior patterns.
- Testicular trauma, neoplasia
or abscess. - An initial step in the surgical procedure of perineal urethrostomy in intact male cats.
Advantages
- Almost all male domestic cats kept as pets benefit from castration to reduce urinary marking behavior and conditions associated with roaming and fighting (bite abscess/cellulitis , RTA, FeLV infection , etc).
Disadvantages
- If performed before skeletal maturity is attained, some reports have indicated that growth plate dysfunction may occasionally be seen.
Requirements
Materials required
Minimum equipment
- Mosquito forceps
.
Minimum consumables
- No. 15 surgical blade.
Preparation
- 5 min.
Sequelae
Prognosis
- Excellent.
Reasons for treatment failure
- Failure to check the sex of the cat or to verify that both testicles are indeed scrotal may result in professional embarrassment or the necessity to reschedule the operation (young cats) or search for retained testicles (older cats).
Sources
Publications
- Demetriou J L & Welsh E M (2000) Colonic obstruction in an adult cat follwing open castration. Vet Rec 147, 165-166.
- Mandelker L (1978) A sterile surgical procedure for feline castration (a photographic essay). Vet Med Small Anim Clin 73 (7), 904-905.
