Suprolorin implant... update number 2

[Miss Poohs]

Slice and dice eh?  Know how your poor girl feels!!

[Sarah.H]

They're still working on a version for females, but at the moment it's just for male dogs so if they don't have the female one available within the next 5 months or so, my new girl pup will have to go through the traditional slice and dice method.

That will be interesting if they do make a version for females. I would love to get Millie spayed but there are a couple of behaviour issues with her that are holding back the decision.

[AnnieM]

Does it affect their coat, do you know? 

Look forward to hearing how he gets on with it.   

[anthony mazzeri]

Does it affect their coat, do you know? 

I believe the answer is no. As in the coat remains unaffected. Maybe. Sometimes. Maybe not. Not enough info available yet. But enough for me to choose this option for Alfred (he's a gold). Because the only other option (surgery) is almost guaranteed to change his coat.

I decided after hearing about an Irish Setter show dog on it. If it changed his coat, he couldn't be shown as he was.

Science stuff - Suprelorin is the brand name for deslorelin, which is a gonadotropin-releasing (GnRH) hormone analogue. The following link is for a study which shows that GnRH treatment reversed coat changes in some spayed dogs. What I find interesting is that as a GnRH analogue, Suprelorin could then possibly be used as a GnRH treatment and used to restore already spayed dogs' coats, which is not it's intended medical purpose.

veterinary dermatology

PS. This same study says only 20% of dogs actually had coat changes after spaying. They don't say what breed of dogs and coats though. That number would surely be much higher in double coated dogs like Cocker Spaniels.

[ludo]

Does it affect their coat, do you know? 

I believe the answer is no. As in the coat remains unaffected. Maybe. Sometimes. Maybe not. Not enough info available yet. But enough for me to choose this option for Alfred (he's a gold). Because the only other option (surgery) is almost guaranteed to change his coat.

I decided after hearing about an Irish Setter show dog on it. If it changed his coat, he couldn't be shown as he was.

Science stuff - Suprelorin is the brand name for deslorelin, which is a gonadotropin-releasing (GnRH) hormone analogue. The following link is for a study which shows that GnRH treatment reversed coat changes in some spayed dogs. What I find interesting is that as a GnRH analogue, Suprelorin could then possibly be used as a GnRH treatment and used to restore already spayed dogs' coats, which is not it's intended medical purpose.

veterinary dermatology

PS. This same study says only 20% of dogs actually had coat changes after spaying. They don't say what breed of dogs and coats though. That number would surely be much higher in double coated dogs like Cocker Spaniels.

Anthony - do you know if it alters testicle size?  ie: do they shrink because of the reduction in testosterone and would that affect them being shown? 

[JaspersMum]

Louie is one of those dogs that although castrated many months ago, was still tempted by hussy Heidi when she was in season and they tied briefly    He also has some occasional problems with jealousy if I stroke another dog/bitch....  

We have had some success on the jealousy bit after finding a stooge dog who only has to look at him for him to back off now and he's learnt some doggy manners without any fights or the like....

I did see these supplements the other day and thought about trying them - anyone given them a try?
http://www.k9centre.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=NB-FE-HO

and
http://www.k9centre.co.uk/remedy-proddetail.php?prod=DW-XX-GE&cat=216

[Sarah.H]

Louie is one of those dogs that although castrated many months ago, was still tempted by hussy Heidi when she was in season and they tied briefly    He also has some occasional problems with jealousy if I stroke another dog/bitch....  

We have had some success on the jealousy bit after finding a stooge dog who only has to look at him for him to back off now and he's learnt some doggy manners without any fights or the like....

I did see these supplements the other day and thought about trying them - anyone given them a try?
http://www.k9centre.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=NB-FE-HO

and
http://www.k9centre.co.uk/remedy-proddetail.php?prod=DW-XX-GE&cat=216

I've had Millie on Vetzyme Stay Calm for about two weeks now. Its for timid, excitable and/or aggressive dogs, the ingrediants are oil of Chamomile, oil of Ginger and oil of Valerian in highly refined veg oil. She's in season at the moment though so I don't know if its had much of an effect with meeting other dogs yet  . I would say she seems slighlty calmer, especially considering she's not had as much exercise  .

It was £4.99 for 150ml and she only needs 2.5ml daily so good value.

[anthony mazzeri]

Anthony - do you know if it alters testicle size?  ie: do they shrink because of the reduction in testosterone and would that affect them being shown? 

I believe that this does happen. I'm not a show person so I can't say how this would affect a judge's decision.

[AnnieM]

I enquired about this at the vets yesterday and he got the book out to show me, it does say it can shrink the testicles, but doesn't say whether they will grow again if you stop giving it, he didn't know as he did his first one last week.     It said nothing in there about coat change, but the vet did say that he would think that if neutering a dog changes its coat, then the implant should as well, as it is basically doing the same thing, but he can't say for sure, as being it is low dosage it may not.   

[BillysMum]

Update Number 1... Day 11 post implant

So far i haven't noticed any difference in him apart from he seems to be scenting slightly more on walks but that might be because i've taken him out to a few different places that he's not been to before  but the vet did say that his testosterone levels would increase before they drop so that might also be the cause.

We went for a lovely walk with my 2 friends and all 6 of our dogs and Billy was fine offlead with them all until the end when my friends flatcoat wouldn't leave him alone so he told her off in his nasty sounding way but apart from that he was fine even meeting a male huge mountain dog. I THINK his problem is mainly with male entire dogs as he happily played on his flexi lead with a sprocker puppy and a border terrier bitch the other day.

Anyway i'm still going to be taking him to see a behaviourist. I did buy him a soft muzzle just to help me stop being so anxious on walks but he HATES it... he doesn't walk with it on, just spends the whole time trying to get it off  and it really seems to stress him out, will he get use to it? i suppose at least while he's doing that he would be oblivious to any other dogs  but i must admit i did take it off him and will be asking the behaviourist whether she thinks using it is a good idea.

So yeah, not alot to report as yet, still hoping and waiting for it to help

[Miss Poohs]

I was just looking for a wee update on the handsome Billy yesterday - glad he seems ok - although little change yet.

Jx

[wrenside]

Hi guys,

I've been thinking about getting the Suprelorin implant for my little man Moss.
I don't want to go down the "slice and dice" method yet because Moss is being trained up for work and this shooting season will be his first full season of work and I want to see how we get on and then if all goes well maybe try him out at trials and see how far we can get with him.
This year there may be times when Moss will have to live in the same house as his mother and so to avoid any complications the implant seems to be the best option for all parties concerned.
I also want to see how/if the chemical castration affects his behaviour as I don't want Moss to change at all, he's a wonderful little dog and I don't want to make a mistake with him which can't be undone.

So after chatting with my local vet about my reasons for wanting it done and any possible risks involved I've booked him in for the implant on thursday as I'm happy that the procedure sounds safe and fully reversible if any adverse affects occur.
So I guess that I too will let you all know how we get on with the implant and whether it "does what it says on the tin" or not.

Best wishes,

Mary xxx

[Helen]

We went for a lovely walk with my 2 friends and all 6 of our dogs and Billy was fine offlead with them all until the end when my friends flatcoat wouldn't leave him alone so he told her off in his nasty sounding way but apart from that he was fine even meeting a male huge mountain dog. I THINK his problem is mainly with male entire dogs as he happily played on his flexi lead with a sprocker puppy and a border terrier bitch the other day.

Anyway i'm still going to be taking him to see a behaviourist. I did buy him a soft muzzle just to help me stop being so anxious on walks but he HATES it... he doesn't walk with it on, just spends the whole time trying to get it off  and it really seems to stress him out, will he get use to it? i suppose at least while he's doing that he would be oblivious to any other dogs  but i must admit i did take it off him and will be asking the behaviourist whether she thinks using it is a good idea.

So yeah, not alot to report as yet, still hoping and waiting for it to help

TBH the flatcoat was asking for a telling off and Billy sounded like he'd had enough  (which is fair enough)

I would definitely get a behaviourist in as telling off in a nasty way and full on dog aggression are 2 different things in my book - mine tells off dogs on occasion and has been told off himself by other dogs as well but it has never escalated into a fight.

and yes, it sounds like he is stressed by that particular muzzle.


Wrenside, will be really interested in how Moss goes with it too 

[BillysMum]

Update Number 2..... 23 days post implant!!

Well... there hasn't been any change in Billy's agression towards other dogs, he was going to tell a rottveiler off yesterday for coming to say hello to me, the owner saw me put billy on the lead and get between him and the rotty and immediately told me that her rotty is very friendly  I told her that Billy wasn't though and she looked at him and i don't think she believed me until billy started to growl at her rotty  I told her it was because he was approaching me and she thought it was nice that billy wanted to protect me... i quickly told her that its not nice at all 

The only changes i've noticed have been that he seems more chilled out, he'll now happily laze around in the garden on his own, where as before if Alfie was outside, billy would be fine but if alfie came indoors billy would follow.

I have stopped allowing billy on the sofa, just to see if that helps his behaviour (i'm trying anything and everything) and although i hate not having my cocker cuddles on the sofa billy has taken to it really well and now happily sleeps in his new bed in the lounge in the evening

His coat hasn't changed, i'm still able to handstrip him at the moment.

And i've finally managed to get in contact with the behaviourist that i'm happy with and he's booked in for monday and to say i'm excited is an understatement, i'm aware it might not help straight away but i'm willing to try anything she can suggest to get billy back to how he use to be  Its such a shame because he is adorable in EVERY other way and happily plays with other dogs until they approach me so i'm keeping everything crossed that this problem can be solved  The behaviourist said i'll be there for as long as it takes so i'm really hopeful i'll get my lovely billy back and enjoy walks again 

[SarahS]

Update Number 2..... 23 days post implant!!

Well... there hasn't been any change in Billy's agression towards other dogs, he was going to tell a rottveiler off yesterday for coming to say hello to me, the owner saw me put billy on the lead and get between him and the rotty and immediately told me that her rotty is very friendly  I told her that Billy wasn't though and she looked at him and i don't think she believed me until billy started to growl at her rotty  I told her it was because he was approaching me and she thought it was nice that billy wanted to protect me... i quickly told her that its not nice at all 

The only changes i've noticed have been that he seems more chilled out, he'll now happily laze around in the garden on his own, where as before if Alfie was outside, billy would be fine but if alfie came indoors billy would follow.

I have stopped allowing billy on the sofa, just to see if that helps his behaviour (i'm trying anything and everything) and although i hate not having my cocker cuddles on the sofa billy has taken to it really well and now happily sleeps in his new bed in the lounge in the evening

His coat hasn't changed, i'm still able to handstrip him at the moment.

And i've finally managed to get in contact with the behaviourist that i'm happy with and he's booked in for monday and to say i'm excited is an understatement, i'm aware it might not help straight away but i'm willing to try anything she can suggest to get billy back to how he use to be  Its such a shame because he is adorable in EVERY other way and happily plays with other dogs until they approach me so i'm keeping everything crossed that this problem can be solved  The behaviourist said i'll be there for as long as it takes so i'm really hopeful i'll get my lovely billy back and enjoy walks again 

What age can you start on this treatment?  Does it affect maturing do you know?  Reggie is only a year old, and TBH we have no problems with him at all.  But I do worry about him getting another dog pregnant as I've never had an entire dog of this age.  He is about to start daycare every now and then too, so maybe this would be a good idea. But I wouldn't consider it if it would interfere with the normal teenage maturing process.  So confused about castration etc.  Had the husband done, it didn't stop him flirting with the girls and being stroppy.