There is nothing more exciting to hear that a tablet or injection would result in the full sterilisation of an animal, but after doing some research on these new medical inventions, we found that more research will have to be done before these products can be placed into production and use.  Dogs who have been given chemical sterilisations have been reported to be in unbearable pain from their scrotum being red hot, swollen and or inflamed.  

Have you heard about a non-surgical process that sterilizes male dogs? 
 It's a solution that is shot into a dog’s scrotum and within a month he is said to be permanently sterile.

PethealthCare contacted SAVA for their opinion on this sterilisation method and this is what they had to say:

The National Veterinary Clinician’s Group of the South African Veterinary Association

Standpoint on Calcium Chloride sterilisation of male dogs and cats

The National Veterinary Clinician’s Group committee has reviewed the literature on calcium chloride sterilisation of male dogs and cats. In addition to a review of the literature, we viewed two online videos of the procedure promoted by the Parsemus Foundation. We have several concerns about this procedure.

• There are no approved standardised guidelines for this procedure. The two videos have some significant differences in the application of this procedure specifically with respect to aseptic procedure, the need for sedation, dose calculation and the technique of administration of the calcium chloride.
• Complications of abscessation and necrosis resulting in large open wounds are frequent if the technique is not perfect as any leakage of calcium chloride into the scrotum can lead to these complications.
• Post-operative care burden is not reduced, and may be increased, as compared to conventional surgical techniques.
• The evaluation and treatment of intra- and post-procedural pain is severely deficient. Recognition, assessment and management of pain needs to follow the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Global Pain Council guidelines. The South African Veterinary Association is a signatory to these guidelines. These guidelines must be followed in “every patient every time”
• Calcium chloride does not have Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval and we are concerned that the promoters of this sterilisation technique are no longer pursuing such approval.
• Sterilisation results are variable as are results on testosterone reduction. Sterilisation occurs in 85 – 100% of dogs in various studies. The 100% result occurred in a small study of only 21 dogs.
• Some degree of misinformation is apparent in the promotional video in the comparison of post-operative swelling of normal surgical castration with that of intra-testicular calcium chloride. The commentary incorrectly attributes the swelling of the bulbus glandis of the penis in an excitable puppy to post-operative swelling

The Alliance for Contraception in Dogs and Cats (which counts amongst its organisational partners such esteemed organisations as the American Veterinary Association, the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Feline Practitioners, the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) completed an extensive review of the literature in September 2015. We agree with this extract from their statement and recommendations which states:

Although these data are valuable, there is insufficient data at this point to definitely conclude optimal formulation, dosage, or administration technique, as well as measures of permanent sterility, safety, and testosterone reduction. Although sedation is recommended by Parsemus Foundation, SpayFIRST!, and Calcium Chloride Castration, to our knowledge there is no standard operating procedure for:

• use of sedation or post-treatment analgesia,
• anti-inflammatory, and
• monitoring.

In the light of these concerns we would encourage the South African Veterinary Council not to approve this method of sterilisation until these concerns are fully addressed.

Dr Ian Southern BVSc
Chairman
National Veterinary Clinician’s Group
South African Veterinary Association