Short-term Effects of Surgical Sterilization on Urinary PH and Specific Gravity, Blood Urea Nitrogen, Serum Creatinine, and Urinary Protein to Creatinine Ratio in Sexually Intact Male and Female Dogs.

Abstract

Surgical sterilization is a widely accepted method to reduce the birth of unwanted dogs and reducing the incidence of reproductive diseases. However, the sterilization of domestic dogs has generated debate among veterinarians and owners about its effects on urinary parameters. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of surgical sterilization on urinary parameters in healthy adult sexually intact male and female dogs. Ten healthy adult sexually intact mongrel dogs (5 males and 5 females) weighing 15 to 20 kg participated in this study. Only those dogs which were at least 1yearold included in this study to ensure that they had reached sexual maturity. If a dog's urine sample is abnormally colored or milky, has a pH greater than 7.5, and a positive bacterial culture is confirmed, the dog will be excluded. Physical, CBC, and biochemical examinations, such as measurement of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr) concentrations and urinalysis (including determination of urine pH and specific gravity (USG) measurement, calculation of the urine protein/ creatinine ratio (UPC), and dipstick evaluation) were performed on each dog. At least 15 days after the sterilization surgery, the dogs underwent physical examination, CBC, biochemistry, and urinalysis at least 15 days later. Urine samples were collected by cystocentesis and stored at 4°C for analysis. After centrifugation at 3000 g for 5 minutes, the urinalysis was performed within 4 hours of collection. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the mean BUN and Cr, UPC, USG, and urine pH before and after ovariohysterectomy and castration. The study found that castration and ovariohysterectomy did not affect short-term urinary parameters in healthy adult sexually intact male and female dogs. However, it is uncertain how sterilization affects urinalysis results in sexually intact dogs, and more research with larger sample sizes is needed to determine the impact.