Age at gonadectomy, sex, and breed size affect risk of canine overweight and obese outcomes: a retrospective cohort study using data from United States primary care veterinary clinics.

Objective: To examine the risk of developing an overweight or obese (O/O) body condition score (BCS) in gonadectomized versus intact dogs and, separately, the impact of age at gonadectomy on O/O outcomes among sterilized dogs.

Animals: Dogs were patients of Banfield Pet Hospital in the US from 2013 to 2019. After exclusion criteria were applied, the final sample consisted of 155,199 dogs.

Guidance for management of free-roaming community cats: a bioeconomic analysis.

Objectives: This study used computer simulation modeling to estimate and compare costs of different free-roaming cat (FRC) management options (lethal and non-lethal removal, trap-neuter-return, combinations of these options and no action) and their ability to reduce FRC population abundance in open demographic settings. The findings provide a resource for selecting management approaches that are well matched for specific communities, goals and timelines, and they represent use of best available science to address FRC issues.

Methods: Multiple FRC management approaches were simulated at varying intensities using a stochastic individual-based model in the software package Vortex.

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Agonist Implants for Male Dog Fertility Suppression: A Review of Mode of Action, Efficacy, Safety, and Uses.

At present, only surgical sterilization is available for veterinarians and pet owners seeking suppression of fertility in male dogs, in most countries. An alternative contraceptive alternative approach is GnRH releasing implants that desensitize the pituitary to the stimulatory effects of GnRH and thereby block testicular function (testosterone and sperm production). Two GnRH agonists (deslorelin and azagly-nafarelin) have been researched in controlled release formulations for this purpose.

A Long-Term Lens: Cumulative Impacts of Free-Roaming Cat Management Strategy and Intensity on Preventable Cat Mortalities.

This study used a previously developed stochastic simulation model (1) to estimate the impact of different management actions on free-roaming kitten and cat mortality over a 10-year period. These longer-term cumulative impacts have not been systematically examined to date. We examined seven management scenarios, including: (1) taking no action, (2) low-intensity removal, (3) high-intensity removal, (4) low-intensity episodic culling, (5) high-intensity episodic culling, (6) low-intensity trap-neuter-return (TNR), and (7) high-intensity TNR.

Hybrid model intermediate between a laboratory and field study: A humane paradigm shift in feline research.

Objectives: Non-surgical contraceptives are under development to provide accessible, affordable and humane alternatives for the management of free-roaming cat populations. The objective of this project was to develop a research approach for promising non-surgical contraceptives using outbred cats in a simulated free-roaming setting, meeting high standards for both animal welfare and scientific rigor.

Methods: A facility, specially constructed with indoor and outdoor living areas, was approved and regulated as both an animal shelter and a United States Department of Agriculture research facility.

Effectiveness of GonaCon as an immunocontraceptive in colony-housed cats.

Objectives Non-surgical contraceptive management of free-roaming cat populations is a global goal for public health and humane reasons. The objectives of this study were to measure the duration of contraception following a single intramuscular injection of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone-based vaccine (GonaCon) and to confirm its safe use in female cats living in colony conditions. Methods GonaCon (0.

Exploring the Gaps in Practical Ethical Guidance for Animal Welfare Considerations of Field Interventions and Innovations Targeting Dogs and Cats.

Domestic dogs () and cats () are common species targeted by nongovernmental or intergovernmental organizations, veterinarians and government agencies worldwide, for field interventions (e.g., population management, rabies vaccination programs) or innovations (e.

Collaborating with Public Housing Residents and Staff to Improve Health: A Mixed-Methods Analysis.

This study described the health behaviors and barriers and facilitators of those behaviors in elderly and/or disabled residents of public housing. A mixed-methods design was used. Residents (N = 88) completed a survey with validated measures of health behaviors.

Simulating free-roaming cat population management options in open demographic environments.

Large populations of free-roaming cats (FRCs) generate ongoing concerns for welfare of both individual animals and populations, for human public health, for viability of native wildlife populations, and for local ecological damage. Managing FRC populations is a complex task, without universal agreement on best practices. Previous analyses that use simulation modeling tools to evaluate alternative management methods have focused on relative efficacy of removal (or trap-return, TR), typically involving euthanasia, and sterilization (or trap-neuter-return, TNR) in demographically isolated populations.