Neuticles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (May 2009)
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this if you can. (September 2009)
This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. (May 2009)
This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. (May 2009)
This article reads more like a story than an encyclopedia entry. To meet Wikipedia's quality standards and conform to the neutral point of view policy, please help to introduce a more formal style and remove any personally invested tone. (May 2009)
This article's tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia's guide to writing better articles for suggestions. (December 2007)
Gregg Miller is shown with his dog Buck the bloodhound, the first recipient of Neuticles

Neuticles are prosthetic testicular implants for neutered dogs and other domestic animals. Creator Gregg Miller won the 2005 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine, a parody of the real Nobel Prize, for his invention.[1][2]

According their website, over 500,000 pets have been 'Neuticled' since the product was introduced in 1995 in all 50 states and 49 countries Worldwide. In addition, there are over 28,000 participating veterinary clinics and hospitals that perform the procedure.

Miller developed the idea for Neuticles in 1993[citation needed], after his bloodhound Buck caught the scent of a bitch in heat, disappeared and turned up days later 30 miles away. Miller had Buck neutered to stop his wandering. Following the procedure, when Buck went to clean himself, he realized something was wrong and acted "extremely depressed" for three days.[3]

Seventeen years later Miller's contention that pets do become depressed after being neutered were confirmed by a two year clinical study by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Washington. The federal study concluded that animals with the Neuticles implant implants exhibited significantly higher levels of self confidence, self esteem and courage as opposed to those participants who had previously been altered without the implants. The study can be found online at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2746978/


The first commercial Neuticles were implanted in 1995. Neuticles are made from Food and Drug Administration–approved materials and are designed to replicate the weight and feel of the animal's natural testicles. They are made of solid silicone and are not gel-filled and therefore cannot leak.[4]

Several companies have tried to copy the patented prosthetic. In a June 2000 press release, CTI Corporation, which manufactures Neuticles, cited an investigation revealing that companies in New York and California were pirating Neuticles. CTI warned of health risks to the animals getting the pirate product and reminded the public of the years of research that went into the product's creation and the development of the surgical technique used to implant them.[5]

Neuticles have been endorsed by a number of national, state, and regional humane societies, including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). "Who can argue with a perfectly safe surgical procedure that encourages pet owners to neuter?"[citation needed] The Spay/Neuter Incentive Project & Sanctuary praises Neuticles as eliminating one of the last reasons people are reluctant to neuter their male pets.[6] Houston veterinarian Kenneth Williams says that for every 200 dogs neutered he gets one inquiry or request for implants.[3]

Miller and Neuticles were featured on an episode of the Penn & Teller show Bullshit! which featured the extremes people will go to in order to keep their pets from becoming depressed over being neutered.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Penguin poo wins Ig Nobel prize, BBC News Friday, 7 October 2005. Accessed June 29, 2007
  2. ^ Man Wins Award for Creating Fake Dog Testicles, Associated Press, October 06, 2005. Accessed October 31, 2009
  3. ^ a b Vanity Plate: The perfect gift for the pet that has -- ahem -- almost everything By J.D. Sparks Published: October 30, 2003. Accessed June 29, 2007
  4. ^ NEUTICLES.com
  5. ^ CTI Coproration Press Release Archives Counterfeiters Target Patented Neuticles For Pet: "They Are Stealing Everything" Says Inventor Released June 26, 2000. Accessed June 29, 2007
  6. ^ One Less Reason Not to Neuter, The Spay/Neuter Incentive Project & Sanctuary. Accessed June 29, 2007
  7. ^ "Pet Love". Bullshit!. Episode 4-06. May 8, 2006. [[Showtime (TV network)|]]. http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/previous_episodes.do?episodeid=s4/petlove.

External links[edit]

Look up neuticles in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neuticles&oldid=560228314"