The publication of WSAVA Guidelines for reproduction control in dogs and cats has changed our approach to this topic.  Surgical castration is not seen any longer as a panacea but rather as a necessary tool which has advantages and disadvantages.  New techniques have emerged to suppress fertility in pet both medically and surgically.  This project will focus on a comparison between new and old surgical approaches to gonadectomy, i.e. ovariectomy-ovariohysterectomy vs hysterectomy, and orchiectomy vs vasectomy. Also, new and old medical approaches such as the use of progestogens vs gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists will be investigated using clinical cases in a multicentric study involving European and non-European research centers.

Five publications related to the Research topic for the candidate interview:

• Hollinshead FK, Hanlon DW. Factors affecting the reproductive performance of bitches: A prospective cohort study involving 1203 inseminations with fresh and frozen semen. Theriogenology. 2017 Oct 1;101:62-72.
• Schäfer-Somi S, Lechner D, Tichy A, Spergser J. The Cultivable Bacteria Colonizing Canine Vagina During Proestrus and Estrus: A Large-Scale Retrospective Study of Influencing Factors. Animals. 2024 Nov 29;14(23):3460.
• Kutzler MA. Understanding the effects of sustained supraphysiologic concentrations of luteinizing hormone in gonadectomized dogs: What we know and what we still need to learn. Theriogenology. 2023 Jan 15;196:270-4.
• Goericke-Pesch S, Packeiser EM. Reproductive management in catteries: optimising health and wellbeing through veterinarian-breeder collaboration. Journal  feline medicine and surgery. 2022 Sep;24(9):881-904.
• Niżański W, Ochota M, Fontaine C, Pasikowska J. Comparison of clinical effectiveness of deslorelin acetate and osaterone acetate in dogs with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Animals. 2020 Oct 21;10(10):1936.

Tutor: Prof. Stefano Romagnoli
e-mail address: stefano.romagnoli@unipd.it