Zeuterin Day Helps Dogs Avoid Traditional Neuter

The Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley (HSSBV) hosted their second Zeuterin Day event Saturday, July 26. Every Saturday HSSBV hosts a low-cost vaccination clinic and one Saturday of the month they host their Zeuterin Day event. Zeuterin is a non-surgical procedure meant to sterilize male dogs. It is an alternative method to the traditional full neuter. The procedure was started by Ark Sciences, and is practiced by trained veterinarians. It is a low-cost option at $50, using a Zinc Gluconate solution. Zeuterin also has a shorter recovery time. “I think this will be a lot easier on him afterward,” Stephanie Martinez says of her German Shepherd, Max. “I won’t have to worry about him messing with stitches.” According to veterinarian Amy Raines, “The pets are coming to the back, they are lightly sedated, measured, we inject and we give them a small tattoo, a green Z on the inner thigh,” The green Z is for other shelters and vets to identify the dog as sterile. “We’ll wait maybe five to ten minutes and then they are out the door.” The entire procedure can take 45 to 60 minutes. The Ark Sciences website has videos and history on the procedure. Zeuterin reduces testosterone as opposed to removing the hormone altogether. It leaves the dog with about 50% of their testosterone. According to recent studies published by the Veterinary Medical Journal, it is beneficial to the dog to grow with some levels of testosterone. “We’re doing them, number one to help the community, but also we are a training center,” Amy says about the Zeuterin day event, “We are training other veterinarians in the community to zeuter dogs, so that the product can be used appropriately to minimize adverse reactions.” Dr. Amy Raines is the Chief of Staff and a certified master trainer, enabling her to train other veterinarians on this procedure. Look forward to more Zeuterin Day events at the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley on the following dates: Aug. 23, Sept. 27, Oct. 25, Nov. 22 and Dec. 20.