castration; development; foal; horse; morphometric; temperament; General Medicine
Abstract :
[en] BACKGROUND: The impact of very early castration of foals has not yet been studied despite the many positive effects observed in dogs and cats.
OBJECTIVES: To compare castration at 3 days and 18 months and assess their subsequent morphological and behavioural development.
STUDY DESIGN: Randomised, blinded clinical study.
METHODS: Twenty-two Welsh ponies underwent either early (3 days old, EC group, n=11) or traditional (18 months old, TC group, n=11) castration. Animals were followed up to three years of age. All ponies were castrated using a primary closure technique under general anaesthesia. Weight and morphometric measurements were monitored monthly from birth until 8 months of age in both groups. Then, measurements were taken every 3 months until 2 years of age and then every 6 months until 3 years of age. Temperament tests were performed on all animals when they were 1 and 3 years old.
RESULTS: No differences were observed between the EC and TC groups in terms of physical development from birth until 40 months of age, or in terms of temperament and behaviour at either 1 or 3 years of age.
MAIN LIMITATIONS: The study included only one breed (Welsh ponies) and only 22 animals that were castrated before 2 years of age, precluding comparison with castration performed at older ages.
CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that early castration at three days does not interfere with morphological or behavioural development.
Disciplines :
Animal production & animal husbandry Anatomy (cytology, histology, embryology...) & physiology Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Cognie, J ; Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France
Freret, S; Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France
Lansade, L; Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France
Parias, C; Physiologie de la reproduction et des comportements (PRC) - UMR85, CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, France
Deleuze, Stefan ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'Enseignement et de Clinique des animaux de Compagnie (DCC) > Reproduction des animaux de compagnie
Language :
English
Title :
Early castration in foals: consequences on physical and behavioural development.
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