Overpopulation of stray and unwanted cats has been a serious issue in every country and different individuals have different motivations for their spaying or neutering. The current experiment aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of ovarian cauterization compared to CaCl2 injection for ovarian tissue damage in female cats. Each ovary of three cycling normal cats in reproductive age was punctured at four sites and 40 W was applied to 5 seconds at each point using monopolar electro-coagulation, resulting in 800 J (Joules) of thermal energy. Ovaries of another three cats were injected with 0.25 ml of 20% CaCl2 in 95% ethanol solution. Macroscopic and microscopic lesions were assessed depending on a number of evaluating criteria. Operative time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and estrogen level estimation showed significant difference between both techniques. The cauterization technique proved easy applicable and safe, and there were no intra-abdominal thermal injuries. Histologic evaluation proved essential to clarify the ovarian functional activity. Ovarian cauterization seems to be feasible and safe, and 40 W (800 J) thermal energy allowed incomplete ovarian thermal damage.
Key words: Ovariectomy, cats, spaying, neutering, cauterization, chemical sterilant, ovarian damage, diathermy.
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