Operative Method and Technical Key Points of Vasectomy for Sterilization in Deer

Vasectomy can achieve sterilization by blocking sperm output without affecting the libido or antler-producing performance of male deer. The relevant details of this surgery are summarized below.

1 Preoperative preparation

1.1 A small amount of easily digestible feed should be given on the evening before the surgery; no feed is given on the following morning, and the surgery is performed in the morning or forenoon.

1.2 Anesthesia To enhance the anesthetic effect, the dose of Xiannailin may be increased, with 1.5 to 2 ampoules injected intramuscularly per deer.

1.3 The surgical site is scrubbed, shaved, dried, and disinfected. The surgical site is selected on the anterior or posterior side of the upper part of the scrotum.

2 Surgical procedure

2.1 A longitudinal incision of 2 to 3 cm is made in the skin at the surgical site, then the subcutaneous tissue and muscle are bluntly dissected, and finally the tunica vaginalis communis is cut open to expose the spermatic cord.

2.2 The spermatic cord is pulled out through the incision, the tunica vaginalis propria is cut open, and the vas deferens is identified. The vas deferens of the deer is white and tubular, relatively firm, with a diameter of about 1 to 2 mm.

2.3 Two ligatures are placed on the vas deferens 1.5 to 2 cm apart, and about 1 cm of the vas deferens between the two ligatures is excised, followed by hemostasis.

2.4 The surgical site is flushed clean with physiological saline mixed with antibiotics, then the structures are returned into the scrotum, and antibiotics are sprinkled on the incision.

2.5 The incision is closed with full-thickness interrupted sutures, suturing the skin, muscle, and tunica vaginalis together; the wound edges are tidied, and iodine tincture is applied to the surgical site.

3 Postoperative care

3.1 For the first 2 d after surgery, food is withheld, but the deer may freely drink water containing electrolytic multivitamins; afterwards, a small amount of easily digestible green feed and concentrated feed is given daily, and normal feeding resumes after 4 d.

3.2 Keep the environment clean and quiet, and in particular prevent the surgical site from being contaminated by dirt or dirty water when the deer lies down.

3.3 For the first 3 to 5 d after surgery, systemic antibiotics are used to prevent infection at the surgical site, and the sutures are removed after the incision has completely healed.

4 Results

4.1 For the first 2 to 3 d after surgery, the male deer is depressed and has a poor appetite, with slight swelling at the surgical site; afterwards it gradually returns to normal, and the sutures are removed after the surgical site heals in 7 to 10 d.

4.2 The antler-producing performance and libido of the deer remain normal, with no adverse effects.

5 Discussion

5.1 Vasectomy sterilization is an ideal method for turning culled male deer into teaser stags. A teaser stag has normal libido and antler-producing performance and can mount estrous does, but cannot fertilize them or make them conceive; this allows estrous does to be detected in time for timely artificial insemination.

5.2 This surgery has a small incision, causes little damage, and is easy to recover from; the procedure is simple and rapid, making it easy to promote.

5.3 Vasectomy has a more reliable sterilization effect than simple vas deferens ligation, because with simple vas deferens ligation, the ligature may loosen or, over a long period, become corroded and degenerated and break, causing the vas deferens to become patent again and resulting in sterilization failure.