Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a Monorchid dog and a Cryptorchid dog. Can you breed, can't you breed. Is it hereditary or not. If so who carries the gene. Some say it's the dog, others say it's the bitch and we have also heard it's both.
If it is hereditary and you cannot breed then if this is diagnosed in a puppy should either parent be able to breed again.
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A monorchid has only one testicle present in the body (whether descended or undescended) whereas a unilateral cryptorchid has one testicle descended & the other present in the body but not descended. A bilateral cryptorchid has both testicles present in the body but neither are descended. A unilateral cryptorchid is fertile (bilateral cryptorchids are not) & in the past, such dogs were bred from - I can think of several well-known Cockers of yesteryear who were known to only have "one" but were quite widely bred from which explains why the condition is relatively common generations later (not just in Cockers but in pedigree dogs generally as well as other mammals) The condition is undeniably genetic but the exact mode of inheritance is unknown though it's generally thought to be recessive (ie needing to be carried by both parents to produce an affected puppy). It's no longer considered acceptable to breed from unilateral cryptorchids but whether you should continue to breed from parents who have produced the problem is nowhere near so clear cut. When you consider that all dogs will carry some "faulty" genes (as do all humans), it perhaps makes more sense to prioritise ie concentrate on reducing/eradicating the incidence of the serious conditions which cause early death/long term pain or disability/blindness etc. Removing dogs from the gene pool because they have produced cryptorchids could be a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water if such dogs are genetically clear for other far more serious problems which exist in the breed. Just my opinion ;)
Jane
Can anyone tell me what the difference is between a Monorchid dog and a Cryptorchid dog. Can you breed, can't you breed. Is it hereditary or not. If so who carries the gene. Some say it's the dog, others say it's the bitch and we have also heard it's both.
If it is hereditary and you cannot breed then if this is diagnosed in a puppy should either parent be able to breed again.
[snapback]148337[/snapback]
A monorchid has only one testicle present in the body (whether descended or undescended) whereas a unilateral cryptorchid has one testicle descended & the other present in the body but not descended. A bilateral cryptorchid has both testicles present in the body but neither are descended. A unilateral cryptorchid is fertile (bilateral cryptorchids are not) & in the past, such dogs were bred from - I can think of several well-known Cockers of yesteryear who were known to only have "one" but were quite widely bred from which explains why the condition is relatively common generations later (not just in Cockers but in pedigree dogs generally as well as other mammals) The condition is undeniably genetic but the exact mode of inheritance is unknown though it's generally thought to be recessive (ie needing to be carried by both parents to produce an affected puppy). It's no longer considered acceptable to breed from unilateral cryptorchids but whether you should continue to breed from parents who have produced the problem is nowhere near so clear cut. When you consider that all dogs will carry some "faulty" genes (as do all humans), it perhaps makes more sense to prioritise ie concentrate on reducing/eradicating the incidence of the serious conditions which cause early death/long term pain or disability/blindness etc. Removing dogs from the gene pool because they have produced cryptorchids could be a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water if such dogs are genetically clear for other far more serious problems which exist in the breed. Just my opinion ;)
Jane
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i totally agree Jane
ive been breeding cockers for 12 years now and have had the problem twice with only one testicle dropping however it is not uncommon in cocker for the 2nd to drop at 11 months you should however wait 18 months before concidering castration for that reason it is a fault carried in both parents so i would not breed the same parents again and i have bred a monorhid b4 but look at the bitches history that i have bred him too and you must remember this when breeding the off spring and also inform the new owners of these puippies