Evaluation of certain hormone levels following castration surgery in dogs

In veterinary medicine, particularly in cases of cryptorchidism and in stray animals, novel diagnostic methods are required to determine gonadal status. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has emerged as a promising biomarker for detecting the presence of functional gonadal tissue. This study aimed to evaluate post-castration changes in AMH levels in male dogs and to investigate their relationship with age, testicular weight, and other hormonal parameters.The mean body weight of the animals, as well as the mean weights of the right and left testes, were calculated as 31.39 kg, 18.9 g, and 20.35 g, respectively. No statistically significant correlation was found between body weight and hormone levels. Similarly, no correlation was observed between testicular weights and hormone levels. However, a positive correlation was detected between body weight and mean testicular weight. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 1, 3, 7, and 15 post-castration. Serum AMH concentrations measured by ELISA yielded group mean values of 8.1 ng/ml, 7.05 ng/ml, 7.0 ng/ml, 7.07 ng/ml, and 6.6 ng/ml, respectively. The corresponding group mean values for LH were 84.64 mIU/ml, 78.89 mIU/ml, 81.01 mIU/ml, 87.51 mIU/ml, and 85.54 mIU/ml. Mean free testosterone levels were 1144.02 pg/ml, 974.35 pg/ml, 992.58 pg/ml, 841.14 pg/ml, and 731.59 pg/ml, respectively. ROC analysis determined the cut-off value of AMH for distinguishing castrated from intact animals to be 7.30 ng/ml. In conclusion, although AMH levels did not fall below the detectable range during the post-castration measurement period, pre- and post-castration values showed a statistically significant decline. Based on ROC analysis, it was determined that AMH levels from day 1 post-castration onwards can be utilized as a diagnostic marker for assessing gonadal status in male dogs.