any remedy?

jackrussel

hey folks,

have a slight issue with our puppy/young dog at the moment. hes a long coat chihuahua of 7 months. one of his testicles isnt down yet. its not in his gut, its like beside his "lad". we were at the vet during the week for a free check up & he reckons that neutering would prevent the non dropped testicle becoming cancerous. we hadnt really planned on having him neutered but if it stops him getting a cancer, then yeah sure fine. we havent him booked in yet, itll be within the next 2 weeks though. but we're just wondering if theres anyway to "encourage/aid" it dropping before we went back so he wouldnt have to get anything to done? we just dont want our rascal to change any bit

borderlinemeath

There's no reckoning, it's been well researched and scientifically proven that dogs that suffer from undescended testicles or cryptorchidism are at a far higher risk of cancer. Plus it's a genetically inherited trait and sufferers should never be bred from to continue the gene pool.

It's a bit of a myth that a dogs personality changes when they're neutered. The testosterone certainly boosts their confidence to a degree, and if you have a particularly timid or nervous dog then it's better to leave them intact until they grow naturally in confidence. However, I would rather take my chances with a timid but healthy dog, than a confident one that has a far greater risk of cancer.

DBB

+1 to everything borderlinemeath said, and also to answer your question, no the testicle can't be manipulated back down into the scrotum. Many dogs have the form of cryptorchidism that your dog has, where the testicle is just under the skin and not that far from where it's meant to be... I've had dogs where the testicle was deep inside the body and it was some job to get it out, and it had been causing the dog considerable pain for a long, long time before I got him.
It's a much more straightforward op when it's just under the skin.
But it is a no-brainer... leaving it where it is would be a pretty big risk.
And to add, his personality is in his brain, not his testicles. He won't lose one ounce of his personality!

jackrussel

thats fair enough lads, thanks for yer replies & putting my mind at ease