Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 2015 SW 16th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32609, USA.
Austin Pets Alive! Research Department, 1156 West Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78703, USA.
Vet J. 2022 Jul;285:105856. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2022.105856. Epub 2022 Jul 3.
Spay/neuter identification tattoos and ear-tipping are simple and cost-effective methods to minimize the likelihood of unnecessary anesthesia and surgery in companion animals or the misidentification of sexually intact animals. This study assessed training of sterilization identifiers in US and Canadian veterinary schools and practitioner compliance with guidelines for identifiers via surveys conducted in 2019. Faculty in all 34 schools responded to the survey, reporting that curricula included sterilization identifiers in 31% of lecture-based training, 75% of spay/neuter laboratory-based training, and 38% of clinical practice-based training. A total of 425 facilities performing spay/neuter reported frequency and technical aspects of sterilization identifiers in client-owned and unowned (shelter, rescue, trap-neuter-return) animals. Facilities encountering large numbers of animals of unknown background, performing a high number of surgeries, or with specialized spay/neuter training were significantly more likely to use identifiers. Only 5% of private practices tattooed all owned animals, and 21% tattooed all unowned animals. In contrast, 80% of shelters and 72% of spay/neuter clinics tattooed all owned animals, and 84% of shelters and 70% of spay/neuter clinics tattooed all unowned animals. Green was the most common tattoo color (97%); the most common placement was near or in the incision for female cats (99%), female dogs (99%), and male dogs (92%), and ventral abdomen in male cats (55%). Enhanced training and implementation of best practices described in professional guidelines for sterilization identifiers are needed throughout the veterinary industry to protect animals from unnecessary procedures and to prevent unintended litters in animals misidentified as previously sterilized.
去势/绝育识别纹身和耳尖切除术是一种简单且具有成本效益的方法，可以最大限度地减少伴侣动物不必要的麻醉和手术的可能性，或避免未去势动物的身份错误识别。本研究通过 2019 年进行的调查，评估了美国和加拿大兽医学校对绝育识别员的培训情况，以及从业者对识别员指南的遵守情况。所有 34 所学校的教职员工都对调查做出了回应，报告称课程包括在 31%的基于讲座的培训、75%的去势/绝育实验室培训和 38%的临床实践培训中包含绝育识别员。共有 425 家从事去势/绝育的机构报告了在客户拥有和非拥有（庇护所、救援、诱捕-绝育-放归）动物中绝育识别员的使用频率和技术方面。遇到大量背景不明的动物、进行大量手术或具有专门的去势/绝育培训的机构更有可能使用识别员。只有 5%的私人诊所给所有自家的动物纹身，21%的私人诊所给所有非自家的动物纹身。相比之下，80%的庇护所和 72%的绝育诊所给所有自家的动物纹身，84%的庇护所和 70%的绝育诊所给所有非自家的动物纹身。绿色是最常见的纹身颜色（97%）；最常见的位置是在母猫（99%）、母犬（99%）和公犬（92%）的切口附近或切口处，以及公猫的腹部下方（55%）。整个兽医行业都需要加强培训并实施专业指南中描述的绝育识别最佳实践，以保护动物免受不必要的手术，并防止被错误识别为已绝育的动物意外怀孕。
