Suprelorin (chemical neuter) for senior dog?

[Mara]

Does anyone have experience with using Suprelorin to block testosterone in male dogs? It’s administered via sub-q chip and releases slowly, suppressing mating urges and rendering the dog infertile. It is temporary, with a new chip needed every 6 mos - year.

We have an active senior guy, 12 years old, who we got 2 years ago. He had a show career and sired a couple of litters, so he is intact. Given his age and that our female is spayed, we have seen no reason to put him through surgery and anesthesia if it isn’t medically necessary. Chelly has been anesthetized a couple of times for dental work, and he does fine.

But…we are getting a puppy! She will be about 9 weeks when she comes home, so heats won’t be a problem for a while. But we won’t be spaying until she’s matured for health reasons, plus the agreement with the breeder is that she will have a show career if she develops into a show quality dog.

I know intact males and in-heat bitches can be managed. SO and his ex-wife did for years. But it’s stressful for everyone, particularly the male.

Chelly’s not terribly motivated to go look for girls to breed - doesn’t ever try to escape or dig or stalk the doorway. - and his breeder said he was always quite submissive to her bitches even when they were in heat. He doesn’t mount Zoe - or legs. I know some of that may be age related, but he’s not what horse people call studdish; you wouldn’t know he has a pair unless you look under him.

I might be overthinking this, but experienced input would be welcomed!

[Finn_Firetail]

I normally just lurk on here, but I made an account to answer this question. I use the Suprelorin implant on my dog that had trouble with prostatitis. We have been using it for 4-ish years now. My vet recommended surgical castration but this was during the pandemic and it was considered an elective surgery and was going to be a six month wait. You would think a dog with prostatitis would be considered urgent, but I was told by several vets in my area that he would have to wait. He was struggling with symptoms from the enlarged prostate so I found yet another vet to get the implant sent out. It has worked great and now that he is 9 years old, I think I will just continue with the Suprelorin rather than subject him to surgery at this age.

From what I am told, all dogs are a little different. My dog only needs an injection every 9-10 months (50 lb Australian Shepherd). When the dogs first gets the injection, they experience a surge in testosterone. This lasted about a week for my guy. It wasn’t anything unmanageable.

Since we were dealing with prostatitis, I had an ultrasound done before and after the injection to see if it worked as intended, and it did. You probably won’t see much for behavioral changes however, since he has been intact his whole life. The only change I saw was that my dog’s metabolism slowed down, so he has to be on a fairly strict diet whereas he ate free choice before.

The downside is that the injections are not cheap and you might have a hard time finding a vet that has experience with them. The vet I found worked in Germany for several years, where the use of Suprelorin is much more common. So you might have to call around to find someone that will do it.

Surgical castration would likely be cheaper in the long run. My vet orders them in packs of 2, as that is how they are packaged. The last pack I ordered was $370–so $185 per injection. I don’t want to put this dog under anesthesia unless it is absolutely necessary (he has some other issues besides age) so I don’t mind paying for the injection. For reference, I am in the midwest, so prices elsewhere might be different.

Both options are valid and both will make the dog sterile.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

[Simkie]

Castration is such an EASY surgery. If you don’t think you can manage him with an intact bitch, I would neuter. Although at this age, his behavior might not change much, and he may still be very interested in her and mount when she’s in heat.

If the only thing you want is to be sure he won’t impregnate anything… do a vasectomy.

[S1969]

You’re not overthinking. Most stud dogs will not ignore a bitch in heat, even a puppy, and it is likely to be stressful for everyone. And of course could actually result in an unexpected pregnancy. He might be submissive, but you’re right, that may also just cause him more stress.

Some breeds are less virile/motivated – what breed is he? That’s a factor to consider that may make a difference. My sporting dogs are known for being extremely motivated, but I recall having my now 14 year old at the repro clinic for a side by side mating and we had to remove him from the clinic while we waited for semen counts because his panting/whining was enough to disrupt the next breeding of Pulis. Apparently they couldn’t get the male to be even remotely interested - but that was not atypical of the breed. Any distraction was enough to make a breeding impossible.

I wouldn’t use any of the other attributes to judge how he will be with a bitch in season in the house. Most stud dogs don’t look to roam the neighborhood or hump people’s legs – but if you put my old guy with a bitch in heat, not only will he breed her, but he’ll try to breed her constantly. There would not be a way to have them together until after she is out of heat.

I’ve never heard of Suprelorin or chemical neuter. Which is odd, because I feel like I’ve heard about most things related to stud dogs/breeding dogs.

I would definitely want to talk to a repro vet about this - especially if it’s effective enough. And, obviously if it’s safe…but I assume it is. Mainly I’d be concerned about any other side effects, but especially that it won’t be enough and you’d end up with an unwanted pregnancy.

[Mara]

Thanks everyone. Will definitely be discussing with our regular vet, who has no reservations at all about consulting with an expert (repro vet, in this case), where he feels he cannot provide all of the necessary information. If bloodwork is good and he feels Chelly is a good candidate for surgical castration, it’s certainly not off the table for consideration.

Pregnancy prevention is the #1 concern - showing a dog is one thing, breeding/whelping a litter, and finding appropriate homes for puppies from an unplanned mating is something else entirely. I know you can terminate early but I’d rather not have to make that decision.

These are English Cocker Spaniels.

[Mara]

Update - Chelly had his annual checkup today and his bloodwork is great. He’s all clear for a neuter, which I think is the easiest option. They will do it at the same time as his dental, which has to be done anyway.

[Bicoastal]

@S1969

I’ve never heard of Suprelorin or chemical neuter.

My latest understanding is that it is no longer legal for off-label use in canines in the US. Sounds like there was a brief period of time when dog owners could access it, but it was developed for ferrets.

[ratherberiding1999]

Yes, suprelorin (drug itself is deslorelin which controls GnRH in the body) is intended for use in ferrets to manage adrenal disease. It does also have effects on fertility in dogs, both male and female, but is not FDA approved for use in dogs in the US, just in ferrets. I believe it is approved for use in dogs in the UK, but not totally sure. Neuters are pretty simple procedures and are low risk when they are appropriately checked by a vet beforehand, have bloodwork done, etc.

[Mara]

I know neuters are simple (I’ve assisted in a few); it’s always the anesthesia that worries me in an aged animal.

But since he’s in perfect health and they will do it at the same time as his dental, win for everyone. He may still mount her when she’s in heat, especially since he’s done it before (planned matings), but as long as she doesn’t get knocked up I’m okay with that.