The 2019 annual conference of the Society for Theriogenology, held in July in Savannah, Georgia, gathered veterinarians from around the globe who specialize in animal reproduction. A full day was dedicated to discussing the impacts of the loss of natural hormones through spay and neuter on the health of dogs and cats.
In recognition of the Parsemus Foundation’s active role in supporting alternatives to traditional spay/neuter, Executive Director Linda Brent was invited to give a presentation at the meeting. She spoke on the growing demand for hormone-sparing sterilization methods (citing a fourfold increase in public and veterinary queries received at the foundation) as well as a call for standardization of identification methods for the hysterectomy and vasectomy procedures.
Other topics presented at the conference included cancer in dogs that were spayed or neutered, a new analysis of joint and cancer incidence after spay/neuter in particular breeds of dogs, and techniques for traditional surgical and laparoscopic vasectomy. The session was followed by a lively discussion, and requests were made for the Parsemus Foundation to include additional information on its website for both veterinarians and pet owners.
Thanks to Dr. Michelle Kutzler for inviting us to participate in the conference, and for serving as a leader and advocate for hormone-sparing alternatives.
