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Patient: Fred

July 4, 2020

Cryptorchidism:
Young master Fred came to see us recently for his desexing surgery.
Unfortunately for Fred the surgery was a little more complex than most because he only had one testicle!
This is known as cryptorchidism. This term refers to the fact that one (sometimes both) of the testicles have failed to descend into the scrotum. The testicles develop near the kidneys in the abdomen, and normally descend into the scrotum by two months of age. In Freds case the testicle was stuck somewhere along the way.
The retained testicle tends to be much smaller than the normal testicle as it develops in a much warmer environment. The risk of developing testicular cancer is estimated to be at least ten times greater in dogs with cryptorchidism. It is also a trait that is passed on genetically and so affected dogs should never be bred from.
These factors mean that dogs with cryptorchidism should be desexed. But the next question is where is the retained testicle? These testicles can be difficult to find as they are quite small. At MVS we use ultrasound examination to locate the retained testicle which makes surgery to remove them much more precise.
Fred has had both his testicles removed and is now recovering well from surgery. We look forward to seeing him for cuddles again soon.