Zinc Neuter for Dogs: What Is It, Risk & Ethics

Neutering is a word most everyone can immediately recognize, it means to sterilize a male animal. Everywhere you look, you see people advocating for spay and neuter programs to eliminate the burden of unwanted pregnancies to get a handle on homeless pets. Neutering is often associated with surgery, a recovery period, and a financial cost.

Surgical neutering can however be an emotive subject and you may find yourself looking for alternatives.

If you were looking for alternatives, you might have heard of zinc neutering. Zinc neutering was a non surgical form of neutering in which a compound containing zinc gluconate was injected into a dog’s testicles instead of the testicles being removed entirely. Zinc neutering is no longer an option for pet owners because the medication used for zinc neutering has been discontinued.

In this article, we aim to explain what zinc neutering was, why it was used, and any risks that were associated with the method that might explain why this procedure is no longer performed.

How Did Zinc Neutering Work?

Zinc neutering, or zeutering, was a form of chemical castration for dogs. It involved injecting a compound known as zinc gluconate directly into the center of each testicle. The medication used for zinc neutering was called Zeuterin, but Zeuterin is no longer being manufactured and the procedure is no longer performed.

Zinc neutering was considered a less invasive procedure that made pet owners hopeful that their dogs would get a less painful experience than previously was possible with only surgical options. The entire concept was to create a more affordable, less invasive, but just as effective procedure that would reduce animal homelessness and limit surgery complications.

How Did Zinc Neutering Come About?

Most often, neutering a male dog is performed using a method called orchiectomy.

During a neuter surgery, the vet puts the dog under anesthesia and removes the dog's testicles to prevent the ability to reproduce. This procedure is typically done from an external approach via the scrotum or prepuce skin. It is the most trusted method in vet offices and shelters all over.

Neutering is not as invasive as a female spay procedure, but many dog owners are still a little wary about the process of neutering because of the risks of surgery and pain to the dog.

Zinc neutering was developed as an alternative to traditional neutering, in order to give dog owners a way to have their dogs sterilized without them having to be put under anesthesia and without some of the risks associated with traditional neuter surgery.

Where Is Zinc Neutering Used?

Currently, zinc neutering is not used anywhere, as Zeuterin, the medication used for the procedure, is not available. It was used for a short time and had promising results. However, due to funding issues, it was discontinued. Ark Science gained FDA approval for the drug but could not gain proper funding or backing for the product.

Advantages of Zinc Neutering

Zinc neutering did possess a few benefits over the traditional surgical neutering procedure.

Near Painlessness

Because the procedure was performed using an injection of Zeuterin into the dog’s testicles in order to sterilize them, the procedure was thought to be nearly painless, especially compared to a surgical procedure involving incision into the skin and underlying tissues. Despite involving an injection of medication directly through the scrotal skin and into the center of the testicle only around 6% of the dogs studied showed any signs of pain.

No Need for Anesthesia

Again, because this procedure was performed with a simple injection, there was no need for the dog to undergo full anesthesia. Anesthesia does have its risks, and not all dogs are good candidates for anesthesia. So, zinc neutering might have been an option for dog owners that were wary of anesthesia and due to underlying health problems. Some of the treated dogs were given a reversible sedation and others had the injection with no sedation.

Quicker Recovery Times

Although most male dogs don’t have to stay overnight at the vet’s office after a neutering procedure, it can still take them around a week to recover from the surgery. But with zinc neutering, the recovery time would have been reduced drastically as most dogs had no signs the zinc neutering had been done after 48 hours.

Less Invasive Procedure

And as we’ve mentioned, zinc neutering would have been a less invasive procedure compared to a traditional neuter. Although neutering is done externally, it still requires incisions to be made, but Zeuterin was administered via a simple injection into each testicle.

Disadvantages of Zinc Neutering

However, as with any medical procedure, zinc neutering was not without risks. That led to some people being opposed to the procedure, just as there are people that are opposed to traditional neutering.

Unavailability

One of the disadvantages of zinc neutering was its unavailability, which is one of the main reasons that it is no longer used. Not all vet offices would have had access to it, and it may have even been more expensive due to its limited availability.

Limited Research

Unfortunately, because its use was fairly limited and there was a lack of funding despite FDA approval of Zeuterin, there was not sufficient long-term research as to how safe zinc neutering was and whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Without in-depth and extensive research, there would have been no way to determine how effective the procedure was, especially when compared to traditional neutering that has been performed successfully for decades and has been shown to be effective at sterilizing dogs.

Required Specialized Training

With zinc neutering, injection placement is everything. Zeuterin had to be placed in a precise location to be effective, so performing the injection takes special training on the veterinarian’s part.

Complications

Although small numbers of dogs were studied (270) some complications were seen such as swelling of the testes, scrotal skin ulceration and testicle abscess formation.

Testosterone Remains

Traditional neutering procedures remove the testicles, thus removing testosterone as well. For most dogs, testosterone can be the reason behind many unwanted behavioral related problems, such as wandering and, of course, sexual behaviors. With zinc neutering, testosterone levels may drop but don’t fall to zero, so some of those unwanted behaviors may remain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is zeutering less painful than surgically neutering an animal?

With the limited amount of research that was performed, most dogs seemed to show no visible signs of pain or discomfort. However, not a lot of studies were completed before the method was pulled from shelves.

Will Zeuterin ever be available again in the future?

Zeuterin was discontinued in 2016. While Zeuterin may not be available again, that doesn’t mean that another well-researched method that is similar won’t pop up eventually. With advancements in science, we get closer to making this experience as painless for our pups as we can.

How could zeutering change the way we perform sterilization in the future?

While Zeuterin might not have rolled out the way the company hoped, it might have sparked some new plans for the future. It at least gave a window into a more painless, less invasive way to neuter pets.

The Importance of Neutering

Despite zinc neutering not currently being an option for our pets, neutering (and spaying for females) is still a very important decision that you need to make. Here are some pretty hefty statistics for you when it comes to spay and neuter surgery as well as pet homelessness.

With these few statistics alone, it is easy to see what an epidemic this is. Animals are killed every year due to overpopulation and lack of resources.

Conclusion

Now you know what the process of zinc neutering was like when it was available. It is currently discontinued, and there are no rumors or plans of bringing it back to the market anytime soon. However, with the way science develops, a new, improved method might be available soon.

As always, check any downfalls and potential risks of new medical procedures to keep your pets safe!

Featured Image Credit: FamVeld, Shutterstock