NASA finding means calcium chloride castration can be done on Mars

Calcium chloride appears to exist,  but alcohol would have to be imported to fix Martian dogs & cats

            SAN FRANCISCO,  California––Eight scientists who analyzed National Aeronautics & Space Administration data on September 28,  2015 announced in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Geoscience that they had discovered strong evidence of the presence of liquid water on Mars.

Wrote the researchers,  “At Gale crater,  hydrated calcium perchlorate is interpreted to be the best matching oxychlorine compound.  Magnesium perchlorate and calcium perchlorate were proposed as the most likely cation species of perchlorate at the Phoenix landing site.”

Translated into journalese,  calcium chloride probably exists on the surface of Mars.  This discovery substantially increases the prospects for life existing on Mars,  or for living organisms from Earth to survive there,  including human colonists.

“Timmy” prizes

Paradoxically,  even as the likely existence of calcium chloride on Mars made global headlines,  few media noticed the September 8,  2015 announcement that the San Francisco-based Parsemus Foundation had awarded $12,000 in “Timmy Prize” grants to three scientific teams who have materially advanced the use of calcium chloride to help solve one of the most vexing and ubiquitous problems here on earth:  proliferation of street dogs,  feral cats,  and other feral mammals.

“Chemical sterilization is not a new idea,” said Parsemus Foundation executive director Elaine Lissner,  “and calcium chloride has been studied sporadically in animals for over 50 years,”  chiefly as a chemosterilant injected into the testicles of male animals,  mostly dogs.

“Optimal solution”

“Two 2014 studies completed in Italy changed the playing field,”  Lissner continued.  “Raffaella Leoci’s team,”  at the University of Bari Aldo Moro,  “identified the optimal solution (20% calcium chloride in alcohol) to result in safe,  permanent sterilization in male dogs, producing reduction in testosterone and loss of male dog sexual behavior.”

The solution Leoci studied is now called Calchlorin,  is marketed by at least one Canadian veterinarian (see www.calciumchloridecastration.com),  and individual veterinarians have locally compounded it for use,  mostly in nonprofit clinics,  all over the world.

But despite the positive research results,  Lissner observed,  “Because this universally-available method is not patentable and there is very little profit potential,  no [pharmaceutical] company is sponsoring it or spreading data.”

“Timmy” prize winners

Therefore the Parsemus Foundation introduced the Timmy Prize,  “named in honor of Timmy,  the beloved dog of the two donors who sponsored the prize,”  Lissner said.

The first Timmy Prize,  awarded in April 2015,  honored an unidentified “U.S. Northwest veterinarian” at an unnamed animal shelter for submitting particulars of successful trials of Calchlorin in three male feral cats and six dogs.

“Parsemus Foundation is proud to award the second round of the Timmy Prize to Amici Cannis (USA/Ecuador), SpayFIRST! (Oklahoma), and a veterinary/owner team in California,”  announced Lissner.

107 nonsurgical neuters

“The first prize,  $5,000,  goes to nonprofit animal welfare organization Amici Cannis for submitting data on 107 Calchlorin nonsurgical neuters as part of a volunteer effort in Cotacachi,  Ecuador,”  Lissner said.  “The low-cost injection allowed the organization to extend its reach, offering services to many more owners and their dogs than would otherwise be possible.”

Commented Amici Cannis in a supporting statement,  “The people seemed very happy that there was no surgery needed and were okay with us sedating the dogs.  They were patient during the sedation recovery and very understanding about the procedure.”

Using prize to add spay capacity

Five veterinarians participated in the Amici Cannis program.

“Unfortunately,  we had a large number of people show up with female dogs,”  the Amici Cannis statement added,  “and they couldn’t understand why we couldn’t spay them during these clinics.”

Responding to that need,  Amici Cannis will spend the Timmy Prize on a gas anesthesia machine.

“Now we will be able to perform spay and non-surgical castration side by side and be able to handle a much larger number of dogs,”  Amici Cannis said.

Spay FIRST!

The Timmy second prize, $4,000,  was awarded to Spay FIRST! of Oklahoma “for photographic data on treatment of scrotal skin irritations,  should they occur,”  Lissner said.  “Sterile scrotal abscesses,  which can occur occasionally especially as veterinarians perfect their technique,  resolve quickly just by keeping the area clean and dry,  without apparent distress to the dog.”

Spay FIRST! has now performed more than 1,000 Calchlorin injections in male dogs,  rarely encountering complications.  Particulars are available for download from http://www.spayfirst.org/programs/non-surgical-sterilization/.

Goat problem

“Third prize,  $3,000,  goes to a goat owner and veterinarian in Davis,  California,  for valuable information that calcium chloride/alcohol sterilization is not always effective or trouble-free in animals with larger testicles,”  Lissner continued.  “The goat had testicles larger than the testicles on most dogs, and a dose of Calchlorin about five times the dog dose was used.  At this large dose, leakage was experienced.  The goat displayed signs of discomfort that were successfully treated with antibiotic and painkiller.

“Due to concern for the health and well-being of the animal,”  Lissner added, “the owner and veterinarian immediately opted for surgical castration to prevent any further complications.  After castration, both testicles were examined. The calcium chloride/alcohol sterilant had not spread evenly throughout the entire testicular tissue,  and the left testicle had more normal live tissue then the right testicle. After recovery, the owner reported that the goat’s behavior is back to normal.  The data submission provides valuable information that although calcium chloride has been used successfully to sterilize young goats in the past,  success is much more likely with smaller testicles more similar to the testicular size for dogs.”

Rocket Dog Rescue

At request of the goat owner,  the Timmy third prize money was sent to Rocket Dog Rescue of San Francisco.

The third and last round of the Timmy Prize competition is now open.  “Rescue organizations and shelters wishing to submit data can find all the needed information at Parsemus Foundation’s website and will find a due-diligence checklist at Calchlorin.org,”  Lissner said.

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