Relationship between age at gonadectomy and health problems in kittens adopted from shelters

Abstract

Prepubertal gonadectomy (PPG) is promoted as a way of managing overpopulation in cats, but concerns about PPG and potential health issues still exist. The objective of the present study was to evaluate short-term and long-term health problems in cats subjected to PPG in comparison to gonadectomy at traditional age (TAG). In a prospective clinical trial, 800 shelter kittens aged between approximately 8 weeks and 12 weeks were recruited before adoption and randomly assigned to either the PPG group (gonadectomy performed immediately) or the TAG group (gonadectomy delayed until six months to eight months of age). Short-term health issues included mortality between when kittens arrived at the clinic and up to seven days after they returned to the shelter, as well as the occurrence of various other health issues arising in the first month following adoption. Kittens were followed-up until 24 months of age specifically for feline lower urinary tract disease, urethral obstruction (male cats), lameness, fractures and hypersensitivity disorders with dermatological presentation. In the short term, there were no significant differences between health problems in PPG and TAG kittens. Similarly, no significant differences were observed between treatment groups in terms of the type or number of health issues in the long term. In conclusion, there are no health-related contraindications to advocating PPG strategies in shelter cats. Ideally, PPG should be performed at the shelter facility itself as long as excellent infectious disease control and postoperative clinical observation before adoption are guaranteed

Gender aspects in allergies of pets – A secondary publication and update

“…Collectively, to this day it has been impossible to conclude whether female, male or neutered cats are more frequently afflicted with allergies (especially atopic dermatitis) or with the eosinophilic granuloma complex. In a recent prospective clinical trial with 800 shelter kittens that focused on the investigation of the influence of early (at the age of 8–12 weeks) and late (at the age of 6–8 months) gonadectomy on different diseases (including dermatologic conditions), no statistical difference was observed as regards the development of these different diseases [ 26 ]. In this study, all kittens were adopted shortly after being neutered and then followed-up until 24 months of age.…”

Contrasting practices and opinions of UK‐based veterinary surgeons around neutering cats at four months old

“…To date, these concerns have not been observed in studies exploring outcomes of neutered cats. [29][30][31][32][33][34] However, it is legitimate that veterinary professionals need to be confident in the evidence base when undertaking veterinary procedures, especially elective procedures such as neutering, having declared that their constant endeavour is to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to their care. 35 Consequently, we set out to understand the prevalence of veterinarians' behaviours around feline neutering in the UK and the potential questions or needs from the veterinary profession on this.…”

Wat na het project Sterycat? - De mening van deelnemende asielmedewerkers en dierenartsen over vroegcastratie bij katten

“…welzijn tot 24 maanden na adoptie. Het verzamelen van gegevens rond vroegcastratie bij asielkatten is inmiddels afgerond en de bevindingen bevestigen het vermoeden dat, mits de juiste aanpak (Porters et al, 2014a/b) vroegcastratie niet nadelig is voor de gezondheid (N. Porters et al, 2014c) of voor de gedragsontwikkeling (Porters et al, 2014d) van katten tot 24 maanden oud. Intussen werden ook praktische richtlijnen voor een geslaagde anesthesie en chirurgie voor vroegcastratie bij katten gepubliceerd op de website van de Federale Overheidsdienst Volksgezondheid, Veiligheid van de Voedselketen en Leefmilieu (http://www.health.fgov.be/eportal/ AnimalsandPlants/Animal_welfare/Plan_Cats/ Cursus/index.htm?fodnlang=nl#.U-yRvGMn-3U).…”

“…Dit laatste was vooral van toepassing in asielen met een grote opvangcapaciteit en werd niet aangehaald in kleinschalige opvangcentra, waar kittens in kleine leefgroepen gehouden worden en de infectiedruk aldus lager is. Kittensterfte binnen het project Sterycat had bijna altijd een infectieuze oorzaak en werd zowel waargenomen in de groep waarbij vroegcastratie werd uitgevoerd als in de groep kittens die enkel verbleven aan de Faculteit Diergeneeskunde (UGent) en pas tussen 6 en 8 maanden oud gecastreerd werden (Porters et al, 2014c). In vergelijking met goed gevaccineerde, (jong)volwassen katten zijn kittens vatbaarder voor infectieziekten wegens een mogelijke 'gap' tussen het verdwijnen van de maternale antistoffen en het verschijnen van de immuunrespons op een vaccinatie (Chappuis, 1998;Day, 2007).…”