THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Perturbed by the escalation in dog bite cases and the drawbacks of surgical neutering drives carried out by the Animal Husbandry Department, veterinarians are now planning to neuter stray dogs chemically - a cost effective method. Speaking to Express, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University vice-chancellor Dr B Ashok said, as per the method being mulled, spermicidal drugs would be injected into the testicles of stray dogs. This method is prevalent in the US and certain Latin American countries, with Brazil having recorded a 96 per cent success rate, he said.
Drugs, such as neurtosol and zeuterin are highly effective in sterilising male dogs and require just a single dosage. Chemical neutering can be performed on an outpatient basis and does not require anaesthetisation unlike traditional surgical methods used to spay animals, making it possible for dogs to be discharged immediately after the dose is administered.
In conservative estimates, a veterinarian who performs surgical spaying on 10 dogs a day, will be able to chemically neuter hundreds of dogs, employing decreased resources and manpower. When asked if the Veterinary University would launch such a drive, Ashok said the government would have to take a call on the drugs required for the purpose as they are not available in India.
However, Dr T P Sethumadhavan, Director of Entrepreneurship, KVASU, said the University would hold a pilot research on the method soon and, based on the study, submit a formal proposal to the state government seeking permission to carry out the chemical neutering of stray dogs. He added that this method would not carry the “stigma” attached to mass killing of canines.