Scrotal Castration as a Safe and Effective Means of Male Canine Sterilization

For years, a prescrotal technique has been the only accepted method of male dog sterilization, as dogs are considered to be “scrotal conscious.” The prevailing thought has been that a scrotal incision will cause more complications including swelling and induction of self-trauma. There is, however, little in the scientific literature that confirms or contradicts this thinking. In this study 437 apparently healthy male dogs over the age of 6 months were randomly allocated into 2 treatment groups and castrated by either a prescrotal (n=206) or scrotal incision (N=231). Complications were recorded up to 72 hours following the procedure. The focus of this study is to evaluate the hypothesis that there are no differences between the prescrotal and scrotal technique. The method of castration was not found to be significantly associated with hemorrhage, pain or swelling. A reduced incidence in self trauma was associated with scrotal castrations