Deslorelin is currently registered for the induction of temporary
infertility in male dogs, male cats, male ferrets, and also prepubertal female dogs, but research has shown its usefulness for other conditions requiring chronic treatment. This paper presents six cases of dogs chronically treated with
deslorelin for indications such as
benign prostatic hyperplasia, control of fertility, abnormal reproductive behavior and
urinary incontinence. All animals were in good health during treatment.
Treatment duration was 2-9 years. No short-term side effects were observed except for flare-up reactions, which were observed only in 1/4 intact males. Two dogs developed a
neoplasia: a spayed bitch treated for
urinary incontinence developed a
pituitary carcinoma, and an intact male dog implanted for control of fertility developed a bladder
carcinoma. While the
pituitary carcinoma seems unlikely to be related to
deslorelin, the bladder
carcinoma could be due to the neutered condition of the dog (which was treated for 9 years) as urinary tract
neoplasia is more common in dogs following
gonadectomy. Chronic treatment with
deslorelin is regarded as safe when an animal is being treated for life. The possibility that a pause in the treatment might be helpful for the animal should be investigated.