[Pot Hole]

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..

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