"Information resources on spaying and neutering cats, dogs and related wildlife"

Publication Information

Introduction

This publication is divided into 16 sections. The first 14 sections are comprehensive bibliographies containing citations about subjects related to the spaying and neutering of dogs, cats and related wildlife. Section 15 lists audiovisuals relating to spaying and neutering that may be particularly helpful in educational settings. Section 16 is a list of website resources, current as of November 2004.

Bibliography

Background

The bibliographic chapters are divided into subject areas that cover

· surgical techniques,

· anesthesia and analgesia used during sterilization procedures,

· alternatives to surgical techniques,

· chemical sterilization,

· hormonal and immunological approaches to contraception,

· complications that might arise from spaying or neutering dogs and cats,

· behavior information relating to spaying and neutering,

· prepubertal spay-neuter,

· discussions about pet population control,

· wildlife contraception,

· teaching spay-neuter to veterinary students, and

· proceedings from conferences focused on population control in cats and dogs.

Citations included in these chapters were published between 1955 and 2004 and selected from searches conducted using a variety of agricultural, medical and life science databases. They are arranged alphabetically according to the last name of the primary author.

Citation Information

Each citation in the bibliographies contains descriptor terms, an abstract when available and the NAL call number if the particular source is available at the National Agricultural Library (NAL).

How to Obtain Materials from NAL

Information on how to request materials that are included in the collection of the NAL may be found on the Collection Services at http://www.nal.usda.gov/services/request.shtml. Please read the information carefully as there are certain restrictions on media and document types.

Web Site Resources

There are more than 30 annotated web site resources relating to pet population control and spaying/neutering dogs and cats contained in the section called Selected Web Sites. The web sites are listed alphabetically for convenience. Readers are cautioned as to the dynamic nature of the internet and the fact that addresses and content are subject to change.

Introduction

This information resource began as a literature search for alternatives request from a veterinarian who teaches spay/neuter in a veterinary college. In accordance with the requirements of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the veterinarian was performing a 3 year review of the literature to look for alternatives to the traditional way in which students are taught how to spay and neuter cats and dogs. During the search, I located information about oral contraceptives for pets, chemical sterilization options, and the development of a contraceptive vaccine using porcine zona pellucidae. In addition, discussions about the need to curb the growing pet population continuously appeared in the literature, with similar points being raised in the past five years as they had been in the 1960s and 1970s. Clearly, the overpopulation of cats and dogs continues to be an animal welfare concern. Furthermore, methods of contraception and sterilization are also being developed for exotic carnivores to control the timing of reproduction in zoos and to curb burgeoning populations of pest species in the wild.

As a resource, this publication provides a comprehensive view of the literature published on the broad topic of spaying and neutering cats and dogs. It is hoped that this resource will be helpful to researchers, animal managers, shelter officials, veterinarians, teachers, and students. In addition, the resource will provide additional sources of information to pet owners about the impact of spaying or neutering on their own pet’s physiological and behavioral health.

Information Resources on Spaying and Neutering Cats, Dogs and Related Wildlife