# Cryptorchidism - when should I neuter?



## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

My now 1 year-old GSD is cryptorchid; one of the testicles never descended.

How long can I wait before neutering? I was hoping to wait until he's fully grown (18 months?), but I'm also worried about the cancer risk.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Of course the testicular cancer risk goes away when you have him neutered. So the question is: what are the odds that he'll get testicular cancer between 1 year and 18 months? My opinion is that the odds are low, but that's just my opinion.


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## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

That's what I'm wondering. I doubt there is that much of a risk, but I'm wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue and if so, when they neutered.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

Dante was cryptorchid and I had him neutered at 14 months.

If faced with it again I'd wait - I think the risk of the testicular cancer is much lower in a young dog.

Dante's testicle was hiding way up where the vet had never seen it before, I'd also as for an ultrasound first to locate that pesky hiding male bit before next time as well. Poor Dante ended up with an incision longer than a spay incision!!


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## Josh's mom (Oct 30, 2010)

Josh was cryptorchid too, he was 7 mo old when he was neutered, I wish we would have waited too, vet said young dogs usually come out of surgery faster and easier than older dogs so we went ahead and did it. He was pretty unhappy the first day, after that it was as if he hadn't had surgery at all.


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Harley was also cryptorchid and we waited until a few months before he turned 2. He probably could have gone longer and looked more masculine but I was more worried about his future health than whether or not he looked like a male.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I've had several dogs with a retained testicle. I was told by my vet they could safely wait to be neutered until they were between 18 and 24 months old without having to worry about cancer.


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## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

Waiting until the dog is 2yrs old is not a problem.
There is also the option of only removing the retained testicle...IF...you would rather not neuter your dog at all. (I do know people who have done this)...even with different breeds. These dogs are all well into their adult lives with no problems. (4yrs, 5yrs & 8yrs old). *Bernese Mountain dog, GSD & Border Terrier.*


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

robinhuerta said:


> Waiting until the dog is 2yrs old is not a problem.
> There is also the option of only removing the retained testicle...IF...you would rather not neuter your dog at all. (I do know people who have done this)...even with different breeds. These dogs are all well into their adult lives with no problems. (4yrs, 5yrs & 8yrs old). *Bernese Mountain dog, GSD & Border Terrier.*


I did this with Mac. He had the retained testicle removed and a vasectomy and he was good to go. Then when he was about 5 or 6 he got an enlarged prostate and was commpletely neutered at that time (the prostate shrank to normal size after the surgery).


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## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

robinhuerta said:


> Waiting until the dog is 2yrs old is not a problem.
> There is also the option of only removing the retained testicle...IF...you would rather not neuter your dog at all. (I do know people who have done this)...even with different breeds. These dogs are all well into their adult lives with no problems. (4yrs, 5yrs & 8yrs old). *Bernese Mountain dog, GSD & Border Terrier.*


I'll probably neuter him completely, just to be safe. My plan is to wait until 18 months.


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

Of course neuter him. usually at 1.5 years their long bones have joined so you can usually be fine. You can have an xray to be sure if you want. We had to do our boy at 7 months due to local laws, etc. Also he was a double crypt with the testicles way up in his abdomen so the surgery was major and in this case younger was better. He had a cut longer than a spay. he is now 18 months old and fine. That is the main reason for the wait is the bone growth.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Barb E;2343005 Poor Dante ended up with an incision longer than a spay incision!![/QUOTE said:


> Same with Balto, and he was in some bad pain, too, and ripped it all open again the next day. Was the saddest surgery I have had done. Poor baby.


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

BlackPuppy said:


> Same with Balto, and he was in some bad pain, too, and ripped it all open again the next day. Was the saddest surgery I have had done. Poor baby.


Yeah, my boys incision was beyond spay in length. They even had to go around his uhhh, manhood and lay that aside. He peed to the right until the stitches got loser. I still laugh at the time right after surgery he peed in his own face when he looked down trying to figure out what was going out to the right.


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## BGSD (Mar 24, 2011)

VegasResident said:


> Of course neuter him. usually at 1.5 years their long bones have joined so you can usually be fine. You can have an xray to be sure if you want. We had to do our boy at 7 months due to local laws, etc. Also he was a double crypt with the testicles way up in his abdomen so the surgery was major and in this case younger was better. He had a cut longer than a spay. he is now 18 months old and fine. That is the main reason for the wait is the bone growth.





BlackPuppy said:


> Same with Balto, and he was in some bad pain, too, and ripped it all open again the next day. Was the saddest surgery I have had done. Poor baby.





VegasResident said:


> Yeah, my boys incision was beyond spay in length. They even had to go around his uhhh, manhood and lay that aside. He peed to the right until the stitches got loser. I still laugh at the time right after surgery he peed in his own face when he looked down trying to figure out what was going out to the right.


Oh god, this is another thing I'm really worried about. Especially because I'm also planning a gastropexy too.

In my case, it's most likely abdominal and way up there. Two vets couldn't detect it a couple of months ago. Haven't gone to the vet recently, but man am I worried.


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## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

Benny had one retained testicle and I waited until he was two and 4 months and that had just the retained one removed and the other left. ( he will not be bred) This decision was mae to reduce the inceased risk of testicular cancer caused by the retained testicle and still give him the benefit that comes with being intact. If he even develops problems with the remaining testicle it will be removed.


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

BGSD said:


> Oh god, this is another thing I'm really worried about. Especially because I'm also planning a gastropexy too.
> 
> In my case, it's most likely abdominal and way up there. Two vets couldn't detect it a couple of months ago. Haven't gone to the vet recently, but man am I worried.


Don't worry too much. I had a bilateral case....two retained. Both of my boys were way up in his abdomen. We found them somewhat through an MRI. Recovery was about two weeks wearing the cone head. My boys neuter was coved by pet insurance because it was considered a medically necessary procedure and my vet wrote a letter stating that it cannot be truly diagnosed till around 6 months of age which prevented them from stating it was preexisting.


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

VegasResident said:


> Don't worry too much. I had a bilateral case....two retained. Both of my boys were way up in his abdomen. We found them somewhat through an MRI. ...


MRI's are so darned expensive (at least they were a few years ago), wouldn't an ultrasound work about as well?

:dancingtree:*Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!*


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

arycrest said:


> MRI's are so darned expensive (at least they were a few years ago), wouldn't an ultrasound work about as well?
> 
> :dancingtree:*Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!*


we tried ultrasound and it did not show them so we took him to the surgical center in our town for the mri and that worked. Try ultrasound first. We did the mri to avoid digging around for them and the pet insurance covered alot of it. We have a $200 deductible 90/10 plan


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

BGSD said:


> Oh god, this is another thing I'm really worried about. Especially because I'm also planning a gastropexy too.
> .


Look around and see if you can find someone to do a laparoscopic gastropexy, where they just make one or two tiny incisions and do it with a scope. I found a place in Dallas that does those and we'll be doing that when the time comes. I had laparoscopic surgery myself last year and recovery was a breeze.


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