NORMAL REPRODUCTIVE ANATOMY AND DESCRIPTION OF TWO VASECTOMY APPROACHES IN THE NORTH AMERICAN BEAVER (CASTOR CANADENSIS)

The use of sterilization methods for population management is often necessary in animal facilities, such as zoological settings or nature centers. A surgical vasectomy is one method of sterilization but requires knowledge of the reproductive anatomy of a species to perform. Over a six-year period, six young adult male beavers had surgical vasectomy procedures performed. All procedures were performed under general anesthesia after induction with dexmedetomidine, ketamine, and midazolam. The first three vasectomy procedures were performed via an intra-abdominal technique, while the remaining three procedures were performed via a novel extra-abdominal technique. All procedures were successful, and all beavers recovered uneventfully. Necropsy and surgical dissection techniques were used to better describe male reproductive anatomy for these procedures. Detailed anatomical illustrations were created of the intra-abdominal location of the testicles, as well as their normal track through the abdominal musculature in the inguinal region to sit in a scrotal sac subcutaneously on either side of the vent and can guide practitioners in this procedure.