"My Dog Has One Testicle"
The day’s cutest puppy was a brown, long-haired dachshund, recently purchased by a young family from a breeder advertising in the local paper. This was his first visit to see us and during my exam, I could only feel one testicle. Now this is a little dog so the palpation target is about half the size of a jelly belly. But there was only one. When I mentioned this to the owner, she nodded, telling me the breeder told her his sire also only had one testicle--it was a family trait. She was disappointed to hear my response, as she was planning to use this puppy to breed to her female. If a male dog truly only has one descended testicle, it should not be used in a breeding program.
Having one descended testicle, called cryptorchidism, is considered a genetic defect and is, indeed, a family trait. Finding only one testicle during an exam does not mean the dog has only one testicle. In most circumstances, there are two--one you can feel in the scrotum and one tucked up into the abdomen where it developed when the puppy was still an embryo.
In developmentally normal male dogs, the testes descend fully into the scrotum before they are 2 months old. Sometimes, both don’t make it out of the abdomen and into the scrotum. One may make it part of the way, or it may not budge at all. If a testes makes it only part of the way, it can usually found hiding out along the “bikini line” . For the ones that don’t budge, we need to surgically remove them at the time at the neuter to reduce the increased chances of the retained testicle becoming cancerous. This type of surgery is more invasive (involves entering the abdomen) and expensive than a normal neuter. So the recommendation for a reputable breeding program is to include intact (two descended testes) males only.
--Dr. Olson
---------------------
Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
high interest checking on May 04, 2009 at 02:54 AM
If left in the body, that testicle may cause an specific kind of tumor, described as tumor cellular sertoli, which is malign. To solve the problem, your veterinarian can recommend suppression of both testicles at the same time, completing castration
alfred astorga on November 01, 2009 at 07:51 AM
During my first trip to the Vet for a complete physical it was noticed my German Shepard has only one testicle. She said it could lead to feminization and testicular cancer and should wait 6 months for the other testicle to drop. Well he is much bigger now and still has only one testicle. Should I wait or should I have him fixed now.
buy levitra on February 17, 2010 at 11:38 AM
If left in the body, that testicle may cause an specific kind of tumor, described as tumor cellular sertoli, which is malign. To solve the problem, your veterinarian can recommend suppression of both testicles at the same time, completing castratio
cheap fashion handbags on June 20, 2010 at 07:14 PM
http://www.freewholesale.net It seems like every designer is trying to incorporate into their cheap fashion hangbags in some way, but let’s be clear: just because drawstrings are trendy doesn’t mean every fashion hangbags needs one. Sometimes adding in a drawstring for no reason seriously screws up a wholesale fashion hangbags lines and structure, which looks to be the problem with the cheap wholesale Valentino Sequined Satchel. http://www.freewholesale.net/wholesale-Bags-Handbags/wholesale-fashion-handbags
Gloria on July 23, 2010 at 04:53 PM
My 10 month old boxer has cryptorchidism. My vet had expressed to me concern about cancer and I made an appointment to have him neutered.
When I called to check on him several hours after dropping him off, in talking with the vet I was informed that the surgery could not be completed because of complications. Apparently he was allergic to the anist. or the pain medication given. It took him 3 hours to come around and fully be aware.
I know the risk of him getting cancer and I have always believed in being responsible about controlling the pet population. My question is: Is it really worth the chance of my dog dying or putting him through all this or should I just let things be as they may considering that the life span of a boxer on average is about 8 years. Knowing then that the time he does have would be happy, loving and wonderful.
joesen on December 16, 2010 at 10:25 PM
Having one descended testicle, called cryptorchidism, is considered a genetic defect and is, indeed, a family trait. Finding only one testicle during an exam does not mean the dog has only one testicle. In most circumstances, there are two--one you can feel in the scrotum and one tucked up into the abdomen where it developed when the puppy was still an embryo.
? on June 27, 2011 at 06:18 PM
what happens to the female dog if u they do mate ?