INFLUENCE OF ORCHIECTOMY ON CANINE BEHAVIOR

One hundred and twenty-two dog owners were interviewed to obtain infor mation about the effects of orchiectomy on the behaviour, unwanted sid e effects, and testosterone-dependent disease processes in their dogs. Behavioural problems were the main reason for orchiectomy, unwanted s exual behaviour being the most common, together with roaming, aggressi on, and abnormal urination behaviour, Objectionable sexual behaviour, inter-male aggression, roaming, and abnormalurination were reduced aft er orchiectomy in approximately 60 per cent of the dogs, The side effe cts of orchiectomy included increased bodyweight, increased appetite a nd decreased activity in less than 50 per cent of the dogs, and there was asignificant relationship between increased appetite and bodyweigh t, The clinical signs of testosterone-dependent disease in most of the dogs either decreased or disappeared after orchiectomy.