What is "neuticles"

n. prosthetic testicles for neutered dogs.

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.

According to the website, over 500,000 pets have been 'neuticled' since the product was introduced in 1995 in all 50 states of the United States and 49 countries. There are 28,000 participating veterinary clinics and hospitals that perform the procedure.

Miller developed the idea for Neuticles in 1993, 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.

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 polypropylene or solid silicone.

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 infringing the patent of Neuticles.

Neuticles have been endorsed by 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?" The Spay/Neuter Incentive Project & Sanctuary praises Neuticles as eliminating one of the last reasons people are reluctant to neuter their male pets. Houston veterinarian Kenneth Williams says that for every 200 dogs neutered he gets one inquiry or request for implants.

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 pamper and care for their pets, including the implantation of Neuticles, which was shown as an example of some pet owners' desires to reduce what they perceived as stress and/or depression after being neutered.