One form of spaying is to remove only the ovaries (oophorectomy or ovariectomy), which is mainly done in cats and young dogs as well as in laparoscopic procedures.
A second port is introduced a few centimeters in front of the navel and a long grasping instrument called a Babcock forceps is inserted.
In female dogs only removing the ovaries and not the uterus is not state of the art because this way the risk of pyometra persists.
The reason open surgery is more painful is that larger incisions are required, and the ovary needs to be pulled out of the body, which stretches and tears tissue in the abdomen (it is not uncommon for patients to react under anaesthesia by breathing faster at this point).
[6][7][8][9] The risk of infections, bleeding, ruptures, inflammation and reactions to the drugs given to the animal as part of the procedure are all possibilities that should be considered.
Vasectomy: In a more delicate procedure than castration, the vasa deferentia – ducts that run from the testes to the penis – are cut then tied or sealed, to prevent sperm from entering into the urethra.
Breeders routinely have this procedure carried out on male ferrets and sheep to manipulate the estrus cycles of in-contact females.
Because a vasectomy is usually a more expensive procedure, among pet-keepers it is more often performed on show animals, to cosmetically preserve their appearance (though depending upon the fancier organization, the procedure may invalidate the animal's candidacy for certain awards, or relegate it to a non-pedigree, generic "household pet" competition division, just as with full castration).
Both sexes will retain their normal reproductive behavior, and other than birth control, none of the advantages and disadvantages listed below apply.
This method is favored by some people who seek minimal infringement on the natural state of companion animals to achieve the desired reduction of unwanted births of cats and dogs.
"Gomerization" is breeders' informal term for surgical techniques by which male livestock, such as bulls, retain their full libido (and related effects like sex pheromones that would be lost through castration), but are rendered incapable of copulation.
This is done to stimulate and identify estrous females without the risk of transmitting venereal diseases or causing a pregnancy by a male other than the one intended for selective breeding.
Penile translocation surgically alters the penis to point far enough away from its normal direction that it cannot manage vaginal penetration.
Early-age neutering, also known as pediatric spaying or prepubertal gonadectomy, is the removal of the ovaries or testes before the onset of puberty.
It is used mainly in animal sheltering and rescue where puppies and kittens can be neutered before being adopted out, eliminating non-compliance with sterilization agreement, which is typically above 40%.
[30] A study of large breed dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture associated early-age neutering with the development of an excessive tibial plateau angle.
[35] The second study from 2014[36] highlighted significant difference in closely related breeds (retrievers), suggesting that inter-breed variability is quite high and that sweeping legal measures and surgical mandates are not the best solutions to canine welfare and health.
In male Golden and Labrador Retrievers neutering had relatively minor effects in increasing the occurrence of cancers."
In male cats, occurrence of abscesses, aggression toward veterinarians, sexual behaviors, and urine spraying was decreased, while hiding was increased.
[27] Besides being a birth control method, and being convenient to many owners, castrating/spaying has the following health benefits: Various studies of the effects neutering has overall on male and female dog aggression have been unable to arrive at a consensus.
[72] Early age gonadectomy is associated with an increased incidence of noise phobias and undesirable sexual behaviors[clarify].
[80] Orthodox Judaism forbids the castration of both humans and non-human animals by Jews,[81] except in lifesaving situations.