5 year old Cocker Spaniel - Only one Testicle has dropped

[HTaylor]

We have just adopted a 5 year old Cocker Spaniel. Only one of his testicles has dropped and the previous owner has not had in castrated. The Vet says that it will be £300 as they will need to find the other testicle, seems a lot, but also they said that there is a greater chance of Testicular cancer if he is not castrated, but CANNOT tell us what the increased percentage is. Does anyone know, do you think we should have him castrated or just leave him be, especially as he needs to get used to us as new owners and a new home first. 

[cockers rock!]

Hi there

When we got Hector as a pup he was (and his litter brother had the same problem) what is know as bilaterally chryptorchid (neither testicle had dropped). He now has one.  Consequently I did a good deal of research into the subject.

There are varying views as to the cancer risk of retained  testicles- older research suggests that the increase in sertoli tumour due to chrytorchidism is around 12x  I have clipped a wikipedia article for you which explains chryptorchidism.

I was also made aware of a more recent veterinary study that suggests the risk is not actually as high.  Unfortunately I have not been able to access this on the internet as it in specialist veterinary publications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptorchidism#Dogs


This will give you context but no certainty on your decision.

It also depends on whether you / the vet can feel the retained testicle.  If you can feel it easily that you may (only the vet can advise here) be able to leave the operation on the basis that if problems occur in this testicle you will be able to see/feel them and operate before it becomes too serious.  However if the testicle is not visible under the skin, i.e. it may be in the abdomen than this is more difficult.

Finances allowing I would canvas the opinion of a few vets - some may give you 5 minutes on the telephone to get second opinion on how they assess the risk of retained testicles.

The cost of the operation could be £300 if the testicle is in an awkward position.

However I am sure the vet would have let you know if the operation was required urgently so I would let him settle in a bit before making any big decisions.

[Jessie_Pup]

Dylan had only one descended testicle,  the vet advised us to wait to see if the testicle dropped but there was no sign of it.   He was castrated at about 13 months old.    He is now 8yrs old will be 9 in June.   We did not want to risk any problems.

[bluegirl]

Have you any insurance? It could be worth seeing if they would cover this condition as its not a routine castration and it would be being done to prevent cancer as he's at higher risk. The problem is the hidden testicle, and tbh the descended one could be left where it is. If the "hidden" one is in his groin area if you can feel it at least if you chose to leave the op you would know if there were any changes to it. If it is truly hidden and in his abdomen then its worth having the op. There is an increased risk of cancer and although I can't quote you exact figures I read that it was a slightly higher risk. You could also try other vets in your area who may be cheaper than this vet. The main thing is that because it isn't a straight forward castration they may have to make an incision in his abdo or groin to find the other one and thats why the rate will be higher, but I admit it does seem pricey.

[spanielcrazy]

What I found out is that the incidence of testicular cancer in intact males is 7%. The risk of developing testicular cancer in an undescended testicle is 13 times greater than that where both are descended. Dont know how this translates to statistics but 13 x 7% raises it to almost 12%.  (13 x 7=91 do we have a statistician in the house?  )

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

The cost is because it is an abdominal exploratory surgery so is similar to the cost of a spay. 

[fifer]

Briar's small, misshapen, retained testicle was found very deep and very, very close to a kidney, a prime candidate for cancer at a later stage.   

It could not be felt by hand, in fact they thought there might not be another one!  

It can be a very big abdominal op depending on the site of the missing ball testicle; Briar's op cost £130 (same as they charged for a spay at that time) back in 2007.  I would allow at least 10 days for recuperation, Briar was not amused to be kept crated but after 2 days bouncing about his abdomen was as hard as a brick.

[fifer]

What I found out is that the incidence of testicular cancer in intact males is 7%. The risk of developing testicular cancer in an undescended testicle is 13 times greater than that where both are descended. Dont know how this translates to statistics but 13 x 7% raises it to almost 12%.  (13 x 7=91 do we have a statistician in the house?  )

http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

The cost is because it is an abdominal exploratory surgery so is similar to the cost of a spay. 

This site says it's a whopping 50% in dogs with retained testicles!!

http://www.medicinenet.com/pets/dog-health/reproductive_tract_tumors_in_dogs.htm

[Brimbeck(Dyllan)]

9.1% I believe the maths is

[HTaylor]

Thank you to everyone for your advice. We are going to take him to another local vet for his 2nd injection and ask their advice. We are certainly going to leave the decision until the summer, as he will be more used to us by then although he is beginning to settle in and we can then spend some time with him at home afterwards if he has the operation to make sure he recover properly.