Orchiectomy

( )

Castration
in Cats
MUHAMMAD AFZAL RAZA
2019-AG-8266
M2
What is cat castration?
Castration is the specific term to describe ‘neutering’ of a
male animal.

Cat castration is a relatively simple procedure that

removes the testicles. This takes away the reproductive
ability of the cat and also a lot of the hormonal ‘maleness’.
 Cat castration has several advantages including:

Removal of sexual urges makes your pet less inclined to ‘roam’ in search of
females ‘on heat’
It can reduce or prevent certain forms of aggressiveness
Prevents testicular cancer
Reduces the risk of prostatic disease in later life
It can help to control hormone diseases such as tumours
Castrated animals are often more gentle whilst retaining their spirit and
intelligence.
No risk of unwanted pregnancy if living in a multi sex multi-pet household
Can often help control ‘dominance’ behaviours
Feline castration is performed in lateral
recumbency through bilateral scrotal
incisions. Pluck the scrotal hair bilaterally
(less irritating than shaving) and prepare the
skin as usual. Most veterinarians perform
feline castration through a small ‘eye’ drape,
or through a dental dam or the paper from
their glove package as a sterile field.
Perform an open castration.
Incision
Through the scrotal skin, hold the first testis stable between the index finger and
the thumb of the non-dominant hand and make a longitudinal scrotal incision.
Apply mild pressure to exteriorize the testis still contained within the tunica
vaginalis. Incise the vaginal tunic and apply a mosquito forceps where it attaches
to the epididymis along the ligament of the tail of the epididymis. Separate the
ligament of the tail of the epididymis from the tunic without avulsing the tail of
the epididymis from the testis. Then release the tunic exposing the ductus
deferens, arteries and venous pampiniform plexus.
Knot and Transect
Transect the ductus close to the testis and gently
separate the ductus from the vessels along its length.
Next, create multiple, square knots between the
ductus and the vessels. Appose each throw tightly to
the previous one and ensure that you do not include
the vaginal tunic or hair within your knots. Apply a
minimum of two square knots (i.e. four throws). An
alternative technique involves the creation of a
single figure-of-eight knot using a hemostatic clamp.
This technique is somewhat faster but must be
mastered to prevent postoperative hemorrhage since
it relies on a single knot.
Possible Complications
Scrotal swelling (normal!)
Scrotal hematoma
Abdominal hemorrhage
Wound inflammation / infection /
dehiscence