EFEITOS DA ORQUIECTOMIA SOBRE O COMPORTAMENTO E O SURGIMENTO DE AFECÇÕES URINÁRIAS EM FELINOS DOMÉSTICOS

Abstract

Castration or orchiectomy refers to removal of the gonads. It is a procedure that assists in population control through male infertility. It also contributes to the inhibition or reduction of undesirable behaviors such as aggression, perambulation and territorial marking, as well as in disease prevention. Studies related to castration as a likely contributor to weight gain, due to changes in metabolism, and that contribute to the occurrence of some syndromes such as feline lower urinary tract disease (FUDD), which presents idiopathic etiology and occurs commonly in males due to their anatomical characteristics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of orchiectomy on the behavior and appearance of urinary affections in domestic cats, from the perspective of their tutors. It was evaluated 63 male felines, castrated from four months of age. The research was performed through the application of questionnaires regarding the behavior and occurrence of urinary problems before and after orchiectomy.The tutors were contacted through telephone calls, home visits and face-to-face interviews. The main reason that led the tutors to castrate their animals was the search for behavioral changes, mainly in relation to the 33-fold leakage, which occurred in 57% of the animals before castration, reducing to 63% after castration. There were also reductions in habits such as: aggressiveness, habit of riding in other animals and marking with urine. After the procedure, 70% of the animals presented weight gain, 61.9% became more lazy. Regarding urinary problems, 6.3% and 17.5% of the animals had urinary problems, both before and after castration, respectively. Of the animals that had these alterations, 100% fed dry rations, 81.81% presented weight gain after castration, 72.72% had access to water in a single pot and 27.28% in several pots. 95% of tutors were satisfied with the effects of castration on their cat, due to observed changes in their behavior. In general, castration is an effective method for population control and in some cases may contribute to behavioral changes when these are expressed by the hormonal factor. There is no scientific evidence to associate castration with the occurrence of urinary problems, but it seems to increase its incidence, probably due to the changes it causes in metabolism. Still higher prevalence of DTUIF in castrated cats of conventional age was observed.