Currently have a 5 month old pup who's testicles are still Inside and havent come out. Vet said that later in life it could cause cancer if the dog isnt neutered. Have any of you ever experienced this? What did you do? If neutered how does this affect the dogs drive/temperament. This is a very well pedigreed dog. Just trying to figure out what to do..
Testicles not dropping
C5vetteman
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Currently have a 5 month old pup who's testicles are still Inside and havent come out. Vet said that later in life it could cause cancer if the dog isnt neutered. Have any of you ever experienced this? What did you do? If neutered how does this affect the dogs drive/temperament. This is a very well pedigreed dog. Just trying to figure out what to do..
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just to confirm - they cannot feel the testes at all?
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Yes the vet said they were there. She explained that if they never came out that it could cause cancer. I just wanted to see how other people have handled the situation or have heard different things from different vets.
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I just went through this about a year ago with a highly pedigreed male Boykin Spaniel that came from a very reputable breeder. The dog was almost a year old and neither testicle had dropped. Concerned, I started researching the subject and learned there was a condition for it called Cryptorchidism where one or both testicles are retained inside of the dog (ie. you can't feel them). My research also found that this was a genetic abnormality and likely came from two (carrier) parents who had recessive genes for this issue. All the literature I could find said that dogs testicles should be down in the scrotum by the time they are 7-8 months of age or you should at least be able to feel them. I could feel neither of my dogs and he was past a year of age.
I contacted the breeder and asked if any of the other males in my dog's litter had exhibited this condition and the reply I received was no, but he was also very evasive and felt like this problem was just a genetic abnormality and not the result anything that came from his dog or the stud dog. Discussions from the different vets I consulted (one an expert on this condition at Ohio State University) suggested otherwise, but since there is no specific DNA test out there to check for Cryptorchidism, there was little I could do. Medical literature recommends that the affected dog be neutered, which was heart breaking for me as not only was this dog an incredible athlete and performer in the field, he had one of the top pedigrees in the country and was to become the main stud in my breeding program. It is also recommended dogs affected with Cryptorchidism not be bred (some may be infertile) as they can pass this condition on to their male offspring. Sadly, I ended up selling the dog, with the new owner made aware that neutering should be performed ASAP to prevent the possibility of testicular cancer.
Here is a good article that breaks down what Cryptorchidism is, how it is diagnosed, and the treatment for it: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-...prB3JJmrXGDA91LoqxQP6gnHN24MqndAcd2M4YfzGN_i1rYVaqdxE0l8fy665QS-NSy4pVfI6FDyJs1
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I can and should be able to find two testicles by 6 weeks of age. They should definitely be there by 8-10 weeks and I wouldn't sell a pup as normal or breeding stock if I couldn't palpate both testicles in the scrotum.
I'd kinda like to know the pedigree on these dogs that didn't have the second one drop until 6+ months of age, because cryptorchidism is heritable and I don't want that crap in my program.
As to the original poster's question. There's nothing wrong with giving him another 6 months. Cancer is a concern but at 2+ years of age, not at 5 months old. Whether he'll drop the second one would depend on whether #2 is even close to the scrotum. I neutered a cryptorchid dog today and #2 was outside the abdomen and buried under muscle and fat near the flank, a good 2-3" on a small breed from where it belonged. It would never end up in the scrotum no matter how much time he had.
I'd kinda like to know the pedigree on these dogs that didn't have the second one drop until 6+ months of age, because cryptorchidism is heritable and I don't want that crap in my program.
As to the original poster's question. There's nothing wrong with giving him another 6 months. Cancer is a concern but at 2+ years of age, not at 5 months old. Whether he'll drop the second one would depend on whether #2 is even close to the scrotum. I neutered a cryptorchid dog today and #2 was outside the abdomen and buried under muscle and fat near the flank, a good 2-3" on a small breed from where it belonged. It would never end up in the scrotum no matter how much time he had.
In horses we used to call that a "high flanker", you could feel it close to the abdominal wall, but still considered genetic.
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Beware of advice given by anyone who might have an outside agenda, such as saving the world from overpopulation of dogs.
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In general I agree with the concept.... but cryptorchid dogs are annoying to neuter esp when it becomes more of an abdominal exploratory than a neuter. One of my colleagues had a dog he couldn't ever find #2. We'll find it someday if/when it becomes cancerous. There are plenty of vets with spay/neuter agendas, but I don't think any vet who recommends neutering a cryptorchid does it because their first concern is "canine overpopulation."
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Whatever you do, don't attempt to find then on a daily basis. The dog will become sensitive to this and attempt to hold them in when they are starting down. Once a month should be safe.
The discussion of cryptorchidism is worth your further research. As for your concerns about needing testicles to become a good field dog. Nah. It shouldn't be an issue.
The discussion of cryptorchidism is worth your further research. As for your concerns about needing testicles to become a good field dog. Nah. It shouldn't be an issue.
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OK so I have one male dog, first one. Can't say I remember when the balls dropped but I believe it was rather late. Not there for months, then WTH are Those 
. That said, if a vet was to be concern about possible cancer and need to neuter. Whelp that won't happen for years, even if one of the boys is retained.My reading on they subject is that crypto- is believed to be a x-chromosome condition which is why it's so hard to breed out. Girls not having balls and all that. I hear sometimes vets can move one of the boys out before the capsule closes, but you would need advise from more of a vet type that isn't neuter at birth. Feeling is it be better to get an opinion from someone-vet that knows more about reproduction biology that just cutting it out . Wouldn't consider removing a field dogs hormones until they are fully developed >1.5 yrs +, to get muscles structure and bone stability; after that I might worry about such things. Cancer won't be a concern until at least 5+; a problem for another day. Even then I know people that have just remove the retain testicle, as they wanted to maintain hormones. At 5 mts. a Pup has a lot of growing to do; hormone related. So why not wait and see if balls drop or not, at least the dog will be able to develop correctly.
. That said, if a vet was to be concern about possible cancer and need to neuter. Whelp that won't happen for years, even if one of the boys is retained.My reading on they subject is that crypto- is believed to be a x-chromosome condition which is why it's so hard to breed out. Girls not having balls and all that. I hear sometimes vets can move one of the boys out before the capsule closes, but you would need advise from more of a vet type that isn't neuter at birth. Feeling is it be better to get an opinion from someone-vet that knows more about reproduction biology that just cutting it out . Wouldn't consider removing a field dogs hormones until they are fully developed >1.5 yrs +, to get muscles structure and bone stability; after that I might worry about such things. Cancer won't be a concern until at least 5+; a problem for another day. Even then I know people that have just remove the retain testicle, as they wanted to maintain hormones. At 5 mts. a Pup has a lot of growing to do; hormone related. So why not wait and see if balls drop or not, at least the dog will be able to develop correctly.
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Hey Claire. The comment had more to do with the timing or the procedure. I've seen several where the vet recommended getting things done at 1 year of age. Give it a chance but get it taken care of before it becomes a bigger issue. That seemed reasonable based on my limited knowledge of how the skeleton grows.
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I agree with you there.... those hormones are important for musculoskeletal development. I generally recommend s/n for pets when the dog has reached its full height. For a performance dog I would wait longer.
I had a dog that did not drop until about 9 months. A local breeder told me not to be concerned.
When they did drop there was never an issue & the dog became an AFC & should have been an FC
except someone more connected than I needed those points. What's your dog's pedigree?
Shamrock Acres Super Value was a monorchid. Never bothered his performance not his ability to
perform the act.
When they did drop there was never an issue & the dog became an AFC & should have been an FC
except someone more connected than I needed those points. What's your dog's pedigree?
Shamrock Acres Super Value was a monorchid. Never bothered his performance not his ability to
perform the act.
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