Zinc neutering from Ark Sciences - anyone heard of this?

[WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo]

I have just read this article in the Daily Mail - www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2124027/Ark-Sciences-formula-end-castration-dogs.html.

Has anyone in the UK heard of this before? It sounds quite interesting (as someone whose pup is due to be neutered next week!)

[DoesItWearingWellies]

I have only heard what I've read, however this form of neutering will NOT stop any testosterone-related behaviours, such as roaming (the dog will still want to mate with bitches in heat, he just won't be able to get them pregnant), mounting and some forms of aggression and dominance. These reasons (as well as not producing more puppies) are why people commonly neuter their dogs, and this will not address those issues.

Also, had you discussed with your vet about delaying neutering until your puppy is over a year old (apologies if he is already)? It has been reported that there can be some health and behavioural benefits in delaying neutering until the puppy has matured, however, the same can be said for neutering at 6months - it's entirely a personal decision that should be reached between you and your vet.

[Lizcat]

The fitting of prosthetic testicles into dogs at castration is common in the USA it makes the procedure desirable there. There is no long term study yet so these dogs may become fertile years down the line or suffer problems from having their altered testicles left in place we just don't know yet.
To be used in the UK the formulation will have to go through the extensive VMD protocols costing considerable sums, so I don't expect to see it soon.