Castration of large animals

Castration
• “The term castration can be used to mean the
removal of testicles”.
• Methods:
1. Closed method (e.g., Burdizzo method)
2. Open method
a. Open uncovered method
b. Open covered method
 Castration of horse
• Emasculation; Gelding; cutting; Neutralizing
• Indication:
1. To make the horse docile and capable of
being controlled in presence of mares
2. Malignant disease and irreparable injury to
the gland
3. Scrotal hernia
• Age: may be at any age. Usually performed at
one year. Sometimes the testicles are not fully
descended into the scrotum before one year.
• Anesthesia: general anesthesia or sedation
with the chloral hydras combined with local
anesthesia.
• Site: ventral aspect of scrotum. Avoid the
scrotal vein while incising.
• Technique:
• open uncovered method: expose the testicle
and separate the anterior and posterior bundle
of the spermatic cord. The posterior bundle
containing the tunica vaginalis, vas-deference
and cremaster internus muscle which is not very
vascular can be severed without any hemostatic
precaution. The anterior bundle is severed by
any one of the following methods.
a) By using an emasculator: keep a cord
crushed for half a minute, then partially
release and than crush completely and sever.
The Hauseman and Dunn’s emasculators are
mostly used.
b) By using a ecraseur
c) By torsion
d) By castration clamps
e) By thermo-cautery
f) By ligation (most reliable method)
• Open covered method: this method of
castration is advisable if there is inguinal or
scrotal hernia
• The incision is limited to the skin and subcutis,
the testicle being exposed with its covering of
tunica vaginalis intact. The spermatic cord is
severed after ligaturing outside its covering.
 Complication
• Injuries caused during casting
• Hemorrhages: primary and secondary
• Extensive swelling or oedema involving the
scrotum and surrounding areas.
• Malignant oedema
• Peritonitis
• Tetanus
• Abscess formation spermatic cord
• Gangrene
• Scirrhous cord
• Hydrocele or “water seed” (during castration
remove as much of the tunica vaginalis as
possible as otherwise hydrocele might
develop due the collection of blood or
exudate in its cavity
 Scirrhous cord
• It is seen as a complication of castration in
pigs, horses and cattle. Thickening of the cord
develops due to infection. The infection is
usually of Bortryomyces. The lesion may
develop within a few days or week after the
operation.
• Symptoms: there is a pain. The cut portion of
spermatic cord is thickened and the scrotal
region is swollen. The swelling is somewhat
hard. There is stiffness in gait and abduction
of the hind limbs. Small sinus openings
discharging pus may be noticed on the skin of
scrotal region. The pus is granular in case of
botryomcycosis.

Note: a prophylactic dose of Anti-tetanus serum

should be given to the horse before or
immediately after the operation.
 Castration of bulls
• Indications:
1. To prevent breeding
2. For easy management and maintenance of
working cattle
3. For quick and economic fattening of beef
cattle
• Anesthesia and control: spermatic nerve
block or epidural analgesia. No analgesic is
used under field conditions, for the Burdizzo
method. Controlled in standing or recumbent
position.
• Anatomy: the scrotum of the bull is long and
pendulous with well-defined neck. The
testicles are oval and elongated in outline and
are placed vertically in scrotum along its long
axis. The tail of the epididymis is located at
lower end and its head is on the superior
aspect.
• The testicles, epididymis and the spermatic
cord are enclosed by a layer of serous
membrane called the tunica vaginalis.
• Blood supply: spermatic vessels for the testes
and the branches of the external pubic vessels
for the scrotum
• Nerve supply: spermatic nerve derived from
the renal and mesenteric plexus supply the
testes. Branches of the second and third
lumbar spinal nerves supply the scrotum.
• Technique:
Castration of bull with burdizzo forceps: the
spermatic cord of each side is held outward
against the scrotal skin and is crushed in such a
way that the crush marks on either side do not
coincide. Each side cord may be crushed twice,
first at higher level and then about an inch
below,
Taking care to see that testicles it self not
crushed. Sigmoid curve of the penis should not
be included within the jaws of forceps by
mistake.
• Castration of bull by open method: the
scrotal skin and tunica vaginalis over the
testes are held tense by holding the testicles
are incised.
(The scrotum can be incised on its anterior,
lateral or posterior aspects of each testicle. But
in any case the incision is extended ventrally to
provide drainage)
The spermatic cord is exposed by traction on the
exposed testicle. The vas deferens and tunica
vaginalis are severed by scissors or emasculator
as high as possible.
• The vascular bundle is ligatured as high up as
possible and is severed a little distance below
the ligature.
• The incision on the skin may be left open, the
excess skin is trimmed if desired. If condition
for primary healing are satisfied, there is no
objection to suturing the skin wound.
• Castration of bull by the open covered
method: in this method the testes with its
covering of tunica vaginalis are removed after
incision of only the scrotal skin.