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Abstract

Castration is a routine surgical intervention used to sterilize animals. Among the different conventional methods, the pinhole castration provides offer significant advantages. This study was conducted on 12 healthy male domestic rabbits at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand, to evaluate the physiological impacts of traditional versus pinhole castration techniques. The rabbits were randomly divided into group A and group B with six rabbits per group. Key parameters included preoperative vital signs, intraoperative monitoring at 5, 10, and 15 minutes, intra- and postoperative complications, serum cortisol levels (preoperative, 24 hours, 5 and 10 days post-surgery) and histopathological evaluation of testicular tissues. Preoperative HR, PR, and rectal temperature were significantly higher in group B, while RR was higher in group A (p ≤ 0.05). During surgery, all vital parameters decreased due to anesthesia (p < 0.05). Intra- and postoperative complications were greater in group A (p < 0.05). Serum cortisol levels were higher in group A preoperatively (p = 0.01), peaked at 24 hours (p = 0.01), and remained elevated on subsequent days (p < 0.05), indicating greater postoperative pain. Histopathological evaluation revealed atrophy, necrosis and reduced cellular count in group B meanwhile group A had normal cellular size and increased number of cells. It is concluded that Pinhole castration maintains stable vital signs, reduces physiological stress, and minimizes tissue damage, and is therefore recommended as a safer, less invasive alternative to orchiectomy and related procedures in veterinary practice.

Article History

Received: Mar 12, 2026; Accepted: Mar 21, 2026; Published: Mar 30, 2026

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