Chemical castration side effects?

[Worried1233]

My 2yo male Labrador was chemically castrated at the vets a couple of weeks ago for humping issues. He was a little bit funny with other people (adults / children) in our house before (barking, generally not feeling at ease with other children in the house), but, since the chemical castration, he’s been even more grumpy both with new people / people he knows really well in our house / other peoples houses where he has been countless times.

For instance, he’s growling at children if they get too close to him / touch him in the house and will just watch them. As soon as we noticed this behaviour, DH and I would reprimand our dog (tell him “no! Gentle childs name). We would remove him from the room and then, when calm, ask the child to give our boy the sit command and throw him a treat.

I have two DC (between ages 7-10) and he has never displayed any aggression towards them. We have had him since a puppy.

My dog did have a bad experience with another dog when he was younger (he was attacked quite badly) so I saw a behavioural therapist who said he has anxiety. The therapist said it’s better to chemically castrate rather than go straight for the full op so we can see how he gets on, but does it sound like the chemical castration is making my boy grumpy due to
the initial peak in testosterone? Or is there likely a deeper issue?

I will speak to the vet but I want to stop this behaviour now before it spirals. Any ideas?

Our Labrador was chemically castrated at 2. Our vet checked first if he had any behavioural issues like the ones you mentioned as he would not have encouraged it in those circumstances. We haven’t noticed any long term behaviour changes (possibly a little less of a flight risk, and cuddlier). He definitely got a bit skittish for the first month, which was perhaps the testosterone surge, perhaps our new puppy annoying him.

I don’t think think we will do another year once this has worn off as pup is now spayed and it hasn’t improved his recall/ lead behaviour. The huge plus of chemical castration is that it does wear off, which is why it’s a good way to ‘test’ if it works for your dog.

@SpanadorFanador oh god, see the behavioural therapist and the vet said the chemical castration was the best option for him, as he literally wouldn’t leave these two particular dogs alone as he was so rampant. He was fine otherwise and I’m hoping now I haven’t created a whole massive issue with him 😭

Get a behaviourist asap. My dog became dog reactive about a month after CC. Saw behaviourist and she gave me tools to address and it went away in about 2 weeks.

I would say dont reprimand him. No means nothing to a dog. Give him something to do instead i.e. train ' bed' command

Reprimanding him is possibly the worst thing you can do to an anxious dog. Testosterone can surge after the implant but it could also be a reduction in testosterone causing him to be even more nervous.

I would speak to a good behaviourist. I would also keep him away from children or situations he finds stressful. He’s trying to communicate that he’s not happy to you and I would listen before he escalates it. There’s no need for him to be around strange children if it causes such a reaction, it’s much safer to protect him and others and just give him space.

Thanks both. I do have a behavioural therapist who I saw after he was attacked last year and she has given me some ideas of how to keep him calm if he encounters a stressful situation. I just want to do what’s best for my boy. At home, he’s perfect. Adores the kids, loves his cuddles and bed but in strange places I can just see him anxiety rise. I am so, so regretting getting the chemical castration now - I feel like it’s changed him so much and not for the better. I will see if the therapists words of wisdom have a positive effect.

I'm honestly really shocked that both your vet and your behaviourist recommended any kind of castration given you have an anxious dog who was already showing signs of discomfort in the home and around new people.

Generally the worst thing you can do for an anxious dog is castrate - they need the confidence of the testosterone in their bodies. Take it away and the result is a dog who is even more uncertain and fearful.

I'm not sure if there's anything you can do until the injection wears off apart from manage the situation. You must also never tell your dog off for growling - he's doing it because he's uncomfortable and frightened - if you punish the growl he may feel he has no choice but to go straight for a bite in the future.

@cinnamonfrenchtoast thats what I’m struggling to understand - both the vet and the therapist recommended it as a solution to stop the humping behaviour between one female and one male dog. He was fine otherwise. I am literally kicking myself for it now!!

Humping is mostly down to over-excitement and arousal - it's not necessarily linked to hormones and castration isn't the magic cure that some vets make it out to be.

Many dogs will stop humping with age and as they calm down naturally anyway.

One of the issues is that many vets aren't that up to date on behavioural issues, and many behaviourists won't know about the medical side - ideally what you want is a veterinary behaviourist but they're not cheap and many people haven't even heard of them.

cinnamonfrenchtoast I agree with PP. on the plus side, you’ve made a positive decision in that the effects are reversible. Imagine if you’d gone for the surgical castration. However, you should think about finding an experienced behaviourist who can help you understand and manage the current issues so that they don’t become entrenched.

I’m not sure why castration would significantly reduce humping in many dogs. It’s not usually a sexual behaviours, as such. Our male just grew out of it as he aged. He got a couple of tellings-off from older dogs, which probably helped. The lady dog, on the other hand, loves a good old hump on her brother, or a little air hump if he evaded her. Bizarrely, she always jumps on when I touch his collar, evidently some indication that he’s been subjugated for the taking!

I think there's still a very old-fashioned belief that humping must be sexual as opposed to just a sign of excitement and general over-arousal.

As a dog walker my "worst offenders" when it comes to humping are all neutered. One a male border collie who only ever humps his housemates, and one a tiny female cairn terrier who took a liking to my beagle and kept trying to hump his front leg

I was about to post exactly what @cinnamonfrenchtoast did!

We had our boy chemically castrated last year as a bit of a "try before you buy" of permanent castration.

He is a bull breed so one of the things our vet was VERY clear about checking was whether he already showed any anxious or aggressive behaviour - they would've refused to do either the chemical or surgical castration if he had.

I'm very very surprised at your vet and behaviourist.

I feel so sick. He’s such a sweet boy and I honestly feel like I’ve messed him up. I spoke with the vet beforehand and on the day - the vet even prescribed sedatives for him to keep
him calm as she knew how anxious she was. I also checked with the vet-approved therapist and she said it was a good idea.

I’m going to keep trying with the positive reinforcements now - I just want my boy back to how he was 😓

*the vet knew how anxious HE was (not she!)

I’ve ordered some calming drops - I can’t get hold of the therapist but do you think this will help? I’ve spoken with the vet and they said it’s worth a try. The therapist did mention in our previous meeting that the drops could help with his anxiety, so I’m guessing it wouldn’t hurt to give him something so he feels more at ease when out and about?

Any anxieties will be amplified when you castrate, chemically or surgically. At least this wears off and you know not to castrate him for some time, possibly ever.

Humping is behavioural rather than sexual. Over arousal, stress, tiredness. It feels nice.

Drops really don't help. You do need behavioural intervention for the short and long term with his anxieties.

Totally agree with everyone's comment about not castrating and not doing chemical castrations if you have an anxious dog

However in the first month after the chemical castration testosterone levels will dramatically increase. If behaviour gets worse in this period or changes it could be due to testosterone increase.

Over the next few weeks this behaviour may decrease as the testosterone drops. I would not medicate at this stage unless you have to but watch and observe and see how your dog progresses. This behaviour should pass

Thank you - I just don’t understand why I was advised by both a vet and a vet recommended behavioural therapist that chemical castration was the best thing for him. I googled it and everything I read seemed to support this so I thought I was helping him. I feel so guilty. I’m praying it passes soon (we are in week 3 post CC) so hoping everything settles soon. I’ve gone back to both the therapist and vet and both have said they are “surprised” that he has had this reaction to it?!

Don't beat yourself up. That's one of the benefits of the jab. You tried it, you didn't like it, you are not going to buy it.

Shame the same isnt available (well it is but not safely) for females. We were torn between letting our dog have a second season or spaying now as she is 3 months after her first. After long discussion with our vet and people I know who have had entire females (I never have as I have had rescues who were neutered) we are waiting until she has had a second as although she is not a nervous dog at all, she has some areas that she can still improve in confidence wise. Our vet fully supports this, does not advise neutering at all for males and females only once physically and emotionally mature, so after second seasons for small and medium dogs and third or fourth for large and giant.

There is very little research on females compared to males but lots of evidence for male dogs.

OP it is way too early to make a decision on the chemical castration.

You need to give it time, watch and give your dog space.

If the behaviour changes in the short term then this behaviour is actually caused by an increase in testosterone. If the behaviour settles down in the next few week then ironically castration might be the right move. However hold fire watch and do not berate the professionals they gave very common advice and it was not the wrong advice.

Give it time and do not rush your decision

I wish we could still get Tardak.
(Sorry not helpful).

Totally agree with IngGenius

i had huge regret until 8 weeks or so but now at 5.5 months it was the right decision and ill do it again or fully castrate

@IngGenius and @21ZIGGY thank you so much - I will sit tight and see how this goes. DH says that surely the vet and the therapist wouldn’t have recommended CC if they didn’t think it was wise - which is very true as they’ve known my boy since before he was attacked by another dog and afterwards, when his anxiety really flared up. Im hoping I will look back in a month or so and see this was the right decision

Hey @Worried1233 how is your dog doing now? Hope he has calmed down and the chemical implant was a positive move. I'm considering it for my dog - he has no real behavioural issues, other than ignoring me, so I'm a bit hesitant about messing with hormones when he is so lovely. Anyway would be good to know how your dog is doing, fingers crossed it's worked out well.

Hi @shopsalot! We are now just over 6 weeks in and he is absolutely like he was pre-chemical castration ! I wish I hadn’t bothered with it TBH! He had one episode where he saw a really huge dog he used to know when he was a puppy and he was really grumpy / growly and snarly with him, but I spoke to my behavioural therapist who said that was likely the peak in testosterone. He’s been like normal since - he’s the same level of cuddly / dopey!

I personally wouldn’t bother castrating your boy if it’s only the ignoring you that is the issue - I don’t know if castration will fix that. I did the castration purely because he loved trying to hump two of my friends dogs - to be fair, he doesn’t do that anymore but I’m not sure if it’s due to the castration or if hes simply grown out of doing it! Also, humping can be behavioural and not linked to hormones, which I think it was in our case.

How old is your dog? I would speak to your vet / a behavioural therapist and see what they recommend 🙂

Thanks for replying @Worried1233 my dog is 4yo and pretty well trained. However he does run after the odd dog (really only one in particular) and not sure if he'd stop if I called him. Apparently this one dog has the scent of a dog in season!

He also gets some male dogs being aggressive towards him which I assume is because he is not neutered. I think that's the main reason I would want to neuter - the aggression from others. It's fairly rare but not nice when it happens. DDog is good at sticking up for himself (just barks) and also doesn't seem to affect him at all afterwards. I would hate to take away those hormones that give him that confidence and then find out that those dogs are just generally aggressive, nothing to do with my dog being intact.

It's good your dog hasn't changed really since the implant - and hopefully the humping has stopped. Does he sniff and wee on every tree in the park? It takes a while for us to get through the park!