Mary Allen
To castrate or not to castrate – little is discussed as much about male dogs as the pros and cons of castration.
Many now resort to hormone chips that cause chemical castration in male dogs.
But how do hormone chips work and how safe and effective is their use?
This article about hormone chips and the question of whether you should have your dog neutered answers that.
In a nutshell: what does a hormone chip do for male dogs?
A hormone chip is a chemical alternative to castration in male dogs. It releases a specific compound that affects a male’s testosterone levels.
This limits its fertility and reduces libido, which is why it is also known as chemical castration.
It only works while it’s in use and has very few side effects.
Chipping the dog instead of neutering it makes sense, doesn’t it?
Castration is an irreversible process. This makes it one of those medical interventions that should be carefully considered beforehand.
A hormone chip, on the other hand, only temporarily suppresses the fertility of a male dog.
It is therefore particularly suitable for testing the effect of castration on an individual dog or for making it infertile for a limited period of time.
In addition, due to the limited duration of action and reversibility, it is the much gentler means of counteracting unwanted proliferation.
The myth, which has since been refuted several times, still holds true that a male dog is more sociable and balanced after castration and that castration would otherwise have no consequences for a dog.
In fact, however, such a desired change in behavior as a result of castration is rarely observed, although undesirable changes such as gluttony can occur.
Physical side effects are also not unlikely with castration, as it has a massive effect on the hormone level.
This level can also be reached with a hormone chip. This is how you test how much castration would affect the dog.
However, it is not a recommended option if you want to breed with the dog in the future, since there is no guarantee for the quality of fertility after discontinuing a hormone chip.
A chip is also not suitable for dogs under 10 kg or over 40 kg, as the concentration of the substance released would otherwise be too high or too low.
How does a castration chip work?
A castration chip reduces both libido and fertility, so it has a direct effect on fertility and the reproductive drive.
It contains the chemical agent Deslorelin.
This is a so-called gonadotropin-releasing hormone superagonist, or GnRH analogue for short.
That is, it releases a certain substance that stimulates the pituitary gland and stimulates the secretion of luteinizing hormones.
This ultimately inhibits the formation of the hormone testosterone, causing the value to drop and remain low.
A veterinarian injects the chip, which is just 2.3 x 12 mm in size, between the shoulder blades, as this is where it is least disruptive.
Depending on the model, the effect lasts for 6 or 12 months and thus serves as a kind of temporary castration.
When does a hormone chip work in dogs?
Definite infertility can only be assumed 4 to 6 weeks after insertion of the implant.
Because the biochemical processes take a while until the desired testosterone level is reached.
For this reason, the consequences of the changed hormone levels only appear later.
In addition, there may still be residual sperm in the epididymis at the time of insertion.
It is similar with loss of effectiveness or removal of the hormone chip.
It takes some time before the hormone level is back to a previous level, and fertility has not yet been restored.
Testimonials
Many report in dog forums about very positive experiences with a hormone chip.
“We have an adult bulldog. At the age of 2 he became unbearably pubescent, the whole program: howling and yelping, he kept trying to climb on us or on the sofa cushions, semen stains on the carpet, he kept losing urine and he suddenly found the food unimportant.
We didn’t want to have him neutered and tried to work it out. No chance.
Our vet then advised us to use the Suprelorin chip. When our bully turned 3, we tried it out for 6 months. We didn’t want that before because he was still growing.
After 6 weeks you could clearly see the effect. Our dog was much more relaxed and relaxed – a dream.
I was hoping that the Rambo behavior on the leash would also subside, but dandy. The chip does not replace education. Mine is still a bully on a leash…”
“Ronny was unusually anxious for the first four weeks after the onset, but the full effect was only felt after 6 weeks. The heavier the dog, the longer it apparently takes for the testosterone to come out.
Now he’s in a really good mood, brave, loving and affectionate. On the leash he still bitches other males but that is a training thing.
I’m not a fan of neutering at all, so I’m very happy that I don’t have to use the full bandwidth with the chip right away.”
“Dario always thought most males just sucked. I had hoped that everything would be better and more relaxed with the castration chip.
On the positive side, he showed less sexual behavior, stopped constantly licking his penis, etc.!
However, now he couldn’t stand both the males and the females any more and somehow he was always so restless.
When the chip expired, I didn’t replace it. I didn’t have Dario neutered either, but consistently trained.
Today he is 5 and everything is going really well. The chip helped, but the disadvantages and side effects outweighed the disadvantages for us.”
Possible side effects
In general, a hormone chip has very few side effects.
There are also only a few preparations that do not differ in the known side effects.
Dog owners rarely report a skin reaction at the puncture site. This is usually a slight reddening combined with temporary itching.
Other side effects are similar to the consequences of surgical castration: There can be changes in the fur, including hair loss, and the fur can appear dull or break off.
It is often reported that dogs have an increased appetite, which is probably the origin of the myth that neutered dogs tend to be overweight: they simply eat more.
Castrated males are considered lazy to move. In fact, the low testosterone level only makes for less ambition and slows down the wild game.
Urinary incontinence that sometimes occurs is mostly related to the surgical operation rather than hormone levels.
So this is rather uncommon after chemical castration.
Hormone chip in males – from what age?
A hormone chip can be used in male dogs from the 7th month and then throughout adulthood.
If the effect wears off after 6 or 12 months, depending on the preparation, a new chip can be placed without any problems.
Alternatively, one decides for a surgical castration or against the continuation of the hormone control.
In consultation with the veterinarian, dogs of senior age should no longer be given a chip after a suitable point in time.
Advantages of the hormone chip
The clear advantage of a hormone chip lies in the time limitation of the effect, because the chemical castration can be precisely controlled.
Not only does it have very few side effects, it is also reversible without consequences.
If a male dog reacts badly to the castration, the chip can be removed quickly and easily and the effect can thus be reversed.
In addition, a hormone chip saves the significantly greater effort of surgical castration, such as surgery, anesthesia and pain therapy.
If you decide to have a hormone chip to test the effects of neutering on your dog, the subsequent surgical procedure also becomes easier.
Because the testicles are then already smaller and therefore easier to remove.
In addition, there are no hormone fluctuations after the treatment, since the hormone level is already correspondingly low.
Disadvantages of the hormone chip
A hormone chip has surprisingly few disadvantages.
Rarely do side effects such as skin changes or itching at the injection site occur.
Shortly after inserting the chip, there may be temporary changes in behavior due to the brief increase in testosterone levels.
Anxiety, nervousness and irritability are often associated with such testosterone levels.
However, these problems will disappear on their own if the level then drops again as intended.
In many males, the appetite increases significantly due to the hormone change.
Then you have to make sure that you don’t get overweight anyway, because the energy requirement doesn’t change as a result.
Another disadvantage arises when the hormone chip does not work. This is only very rarely the case, but then there is no other option for chemical castration.
Finally, the hormone chip is not recommended for all dogs, because the release of the active substance is calculated according to an average value.
It is therefore unsuitable for dogs under 10 kg or over 40 kg, as it then releases too much or too little active substance for the dog’s body.
Costs & prices of a castration chip
The cost of the hormone chip is divided into the veterinary costs and the cost of the chip itself.
The vet calculates according to the scale of fees for veterinarians (GOT).
The service includes the insertion of the chip and the preventive and aftercare, plus medication if necessary, if side effects do occur.
The schedule of fees allows billing according to 1, 2 or 3 times the rate.
Which one is billed depends on many criteria. You can always get more detailed information from your veterinary practice.
The price for temporary neutering also influences the choice of chip in terms of the manufacturer and the duration of action and individual factors of the dog.
In total, the costs usually amount to between 100 and 175 €.
For comparison: a surgical castration costs between 50 and 155 €.
Before/after: Behavior change after the hormone chip
Due to the lower testosterone level after inserting the hormone chip, males are often more relaxed when dealing with other males who are not neutered and also with females in heat.
Testosterone mostly affects ambition and dominance behaviors, so it can lead to a slight decrease in these.
However, many dog owners expect a major change in behavior in this area, which, however, cannot be influenced so much by the hormone level.
Only consistent training can help here.
However, male dogs often become far more gluttonous after receiving the hormone implant.
In order not to breed a weight problem, you should now consciously pay attention to the right amount of food.
Can a dog become aggressive from the hormone chip?
As a rule, the first biochemical reaction to the hormone implant is more testosterone than usual.
This can make the dog restless and even irritable to the point of being aggressive.
Alertness increases in the short term and your dog seems unusually tense.
However, this usually only lasts for a short time. Once the hormone levels drop, the behavioral changes disappear as well.
What to do if my dog has become aggressive from the hormone chip?
It is advisable to wait and see whether the problem resolves itself.
Because when the body has adjusted to the active substance of the hormone chip, the behavioral problems caused by it normally also go away.
However, it is important not to tolerate such behavior and not to let the male dog get away with it.
Don’t humanize the dog, he shouldn’t be allowed to go too far out of pity.
Does a dog calm down after neutering?
That a male dog becomes calmer or even more obedient after castration is a myth that persists.
In fact, few behavioral problems are solely related to testosterone levels.
But a castration, whether chemical or surgical, acts primarily on this.
Therefore, good and consistent training is the right solution for most behavioral problems.
Hormone chip not working?
In rare cases, a hormone chip may have little or no effect.
Changing the manufacturer usually doesn’t help, since the chips work with the same active ingredient.
Then the only choice left is surgical, definitive castration or simply doing without the chip and retaining fertility.
A hormone chip is only considered ineffective if it can be proven that it has no effect on the testosterone level.
No lack of effect can be derived from unchanged behavior or the absence of side effects.
Conclusion
A hormone chip is a good and gentle way to limit a male’s fertility.
It is temporary, can be overturned, and involves far less invasive procedures and consequences.
For many dog owners it is therefore a very good and proven way to prevent the dog from accidentally breeding.
Have you ever thought about a hormone chip in your dog? How did you decide? Tell us about your experience in the comments!