INDICAÇÃO DA ESTERILIZAÇÃO CIRÚRGICA ELETIVA OU TERAPÊUTICA EM CADELAS E GATAS: Revisão Integrativa

Castration is the most recommended surgical procedure in small animal clinics and consists of removing the ovaries, uterus and uterine tubes of dogs and cats with the aim of avoiding unwanted pregnancies and treating and preventing reproductive illnesses. This literature review seeks to offer a broad view of the indication for castration, observing whether this surgical technique is more suitable for treating illnesses or as a contraceptive measure, the owners' perceptions of the procedure and its impact on public health. The methodology used was an integrative literature review, delimiting the topic and then searching for recent articles related to the topic, using sources such as Google Scholar, Scielo, PubMed, magazine journals and books using keywords, specific issues such as “Castration in dogs and cats”, “Contraception for dogs and cats”, “Reproductive diseases in dogs and cats”. The analysis of the articles identified that elective castration is an important means of preventing diseases of the reproductive tract and uncontrolled reproduction and is highly recommended in small animal veterinary clinics, however, most owners choose to carry it out only in cases involving pathologies. It is necessary to educate the population about the benefits of neutering and government platforms must be charged with free population control projects for these animals.