Suprolorin implant... update number 2

[BillysMum]

Hi,

http://www.suprelorin.com/HTML/Animal_Health/Superlorin_general.html
Has anyone's dog had this?

On Thursday Billy is having the implant, my reasons for him having this instead of being castrated is to see if it helps his behaviour and if so, he will be castrated. I just don't want to castrate him and regret it if it makes things worse as once his castrated theres no going back but the implant disolves after 6 months and by then i should know if castrating is the answer

If anyones interested i can update on how he gets on weekly and if it changes his behaviour?

[Helen]

what behaviour(s) are you trying to change?

[Miss Poohs]

I'd be very interested to see how you (or should I say Billy) gets on with this.

Rufus is not too OTT with the laydees, but he's aggressive with unneutered males and all poopies.

Pete is dead set against neutering him - but it's not a pleasure to take him out with other dogs now, he can so nasty.

[BillysMum]

Hi Livercake, He has began to follow the scent of in season bitches that are walked in the park here, even as much as running accross the road after one so i'm pretty sure castration will help with that. sadly when theres no in season bitches being walked then his recall is 100%

but he has started to become aggressive to other dogs and as far as i can tell its usually entire males and usually only when they approach me so i'm unsure if its a jealousy thing (for which i'm booked in to see a behaviourist once she's back off holiday) or if its because they are entire males so i'll be able to see if the implant helps and if so, then he'll be castrated.

I have read that castration can make a timid dog worse or make aggression worse depending on whats causing it and i'm also concerned that castrating him will change how him and my other dog are together so for those reasons i'd like to see what he's like with the implant first.

Miss Poohs... I know how you feel, i no longer enjoy walking Billy so something has to change but i'm reluctant to jump into castrating him incase it makes things worse and incase his issues are more behavioural than hormonal.

I do feel i have failed him though as i must be doing something wrong with his training if these problems are behavioural, its just such a shame because i adore the little guy and he really is a lovely dog apart from when he meets the occasional dog who approaches me and then he turns and i have no idea how to deal with correcting jealousy so thats the reason i'm seeing a behaviourist also.

[ClareB]

I'll be interested to see how Billy gets on with this too, so keep us posted.     There are occasions when I think about getting Milo castrated, although his behaviour's by no means bad and I certainly don't dread walking him.  Most of the time he's fine but there are odd occasions when he takes a dislike to another dog, usually an entire male.  There are also times when he's absolutely fine with entire males though, and generally he isn't a problem. 

I have read that castration can make a timid dog worse or make aggression worse depending on whats causing it

I've spoken to my vet and behaviourist friend about this as this concerned me too, but they both say that it can also make timid/nervous dogs much more relaxed.  The reasoning behind it being that their hormones are making them carry out behaviours that they're not particularly happy with and this has them on edge.  When you take the hormones away, they can relax as their hormones aren't ruling their head, iyswim.   

Good luck with it anyway, let us know how he gets on.   

[Miss Poohs]

I know how you feel I get the guilts too -  I've tried everything and Ruffy isn't the first male dog we've had either, so I think it's maybe just him.

We've done the training and even had a behaviourist, but nothing really makes much difference.

I'm worried because this has been going on a long time for Rufters, it started when he was about 18 months old and has become very gradually worse - he's 4 now.

I'd have had him neutered ages ago but Pete will absolutely not allow it 

Rufters isn't at all shy or timid - so I would be happy to have him neutered if it meant a happier life for my wee choccie puddin'.

I called our vet and they have just taken receipt of their first consignment of Suprelorin - so I'm going to have a chat. If we do this, and Ruffy benefits - he's for the snip - and Pete can create all the song and dance he wants.

Infact I might just get him snipped too 

[anthony mazzeri]

I've had my Alfred done with a (12 month) Suprelorin implant last month at aged 13 months and plan to make it an annual 'jab', like vaccinations.

As I'm just about to bring home a new girl puppy, my main reason for going the implant route is to avoid the shaggy woolly look which coats can go after physical neutering, especially golds like Alfred. Suprelorin is actually the sex hormone GnRH which promotes good coat (it works to neuter via 'overdosing' and so so convinces the body to stop producing testosterone or estrogen itself etc) - which makes me think it may actually be a 'cure' for curly coat in already desexed dogs.

MissP, my vet told me the most demand for these implants is to test/see how/if a dog's behaviour may change when the wife is for it but the husband is against doing the 'deed' (isn't that always the way?). Exactly as in your case! He said in most cases the dog is brought back in for the permanent job long before the implant even runs out - the behaviour change is usually more than positive and the husband runs out of argument.

[Miss Poohs]

I know there may be a bit of variation but roughly how much was the injection?

I love Rufters coat the way it is - very close and short, but in all honesty I think if this was to give me a happier, easier going wee dog I'd still go for it, even if it meant I had a wee choccie fur ball.

[BillysMum]

ohh thats interesting, i had come to accept that i'd no longer be able to hand strip billy which he loves (and so do i  ) as he's a solid liver and i was sure that even with the suprolorin implant his coat would go completely wooly. Although i must admit i'd be more than happy with a wooly little man who was happy and a pleasure to walk than a gorgeous boy with a lovely coat who was aggressive and hormonal.

Billy was 2 at the beginning of August and has been agressive towards certain dogs since around 18 months so i'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is hormonal and the implant helps.

I'm also hopeful that this isn't going to make him more timid now after what ClareB has said, i really hope it turns out to be the case with Billy and he becomes more relaxed without the hormones ruling him!!

Thanks for your replys, it's really interesting to find out other peoples experiences and opinions on it. I've also heard that the first 2 weeks after the implant, the behaviour can be exaggerated so billy could become more aggressive towards entire males etc so i will be extra cautious just incase.

[BillysMum]

I'm paying £31.90 not including VAT which i think is really reasonable, i had heard it was nearer £50 but i'm wondering if the vet adds on £20 just to do it 

[Miss Poohs]

Thank you - as you say, that's reasonable.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, as I'd so love all dogs (and owners) to see the happy wee choccie pudding we have, and not the maurauding monster he turns into whn meeting another entire male.

*My fingers are crossed*

[Cob-Web]

He has began to follow the scent of in season bitches that are walked in the park here, even as much as running accross the road after one so i'm pretty sure castration will help with that. sadly when theres no in season bitches being walked then his recall is 100%

I have recently read of several castrated dogs which are still highly motivated by a bitch in season (including more than one which has tied with a receptive bitch) so this may not be the solution that you hope it will be   

I am always astounded at the behaviour of entire bitch owners that I read about here; I don't use parks, so it always comes as a shock to hear that in-season bitches are walked in public parks on a regular basis 

Is this a different type of chemical castration to the Tardak injections? I know that there were a lot of discussions - and positive and negative opinions - about that.  How long has the Superlorin been available?

[Miss Poohs]

"A non-surgical method to suppress testosterone - first launched in Australia in December 2004 and New Zealand September 2005. It can be used for long or short term suppression of reproductive function of dogs and in situations where a reduced testosterone level is required, such as controlling antisocial behaviour and treating prostatic enlargement."

By all accounts a fairly recent approach, but I'm be willing to look in to it - it would also appear to be completely reversable - so it deffo isn't a cure all, perhaps more a window.

[angelbaby]

i wonder why vets dont offer this when asked about castration? mine certainly didnt? i wish my memory wasnt so bad or i would of remembered posting something similar a while back? i think i would of rather had that than of put Quincy through this at the moment x

[cazza]

Even tho I have both my dogs spayed / neutered I'd still be interested to hear how you get on 

Good luck and please post and let us know