# Undescended testicles?



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

He is bilateral cryptorchid? If so, then neutering rather than leaving intact and a bit earlier than later would be advisable. Testes really need to be cool to function correctly which is why they are located outside the abdomen in the scrotum. Testes at higher than normal temperatures are more likely to develop cancers, but I don't think that waiting even until 9 months would significantly raise the cancer risk.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Retained Testicles Dogs | petMD

This is a good article on it


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Undescended testicles usually drop by 6 months, but the risk of cancer is a scare tactic he is using, as dogs with undecended testicles at the age of 3 years old have a 50% chance of developing cancer! So at his young age he should not be at a whole lot of risk!
I would guess waiting a few months isn't going to affect him that much! Do realize that if they are retained, it will require abdominal surgery anyway.......


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Ages ago, not poodle nor a dog, I had a cat he had one testical that didn't drop. we waited to see if it would, he was nearly 10-11 months old he was de-sexed in a what amounted to a neuter/spay surgery.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

I am not an expert but I have a breeder friend (different breed) who threw a bilateral cryptorchid in a litter and she still required that his neuter be performed between 18-24 months, like all of the other pups in the litter. She did a lot of research and found that the benefits of waiting for the growth plates to close completely before neuter far outweighed the risks of keeping him intact for several months longer. Now since Milo is small Im sure it won't take as long for his growth plates to close, but I would suggest waiting until at least 9 months to a year.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

I know it's anecdotal evidence, and a sample of one, but:

My mini poo Jupiter had one undescended testicle. He was neutered at age 10 months; lived a long and happy life, and died at the end of 2016 at age 15 + of causes unrelated to his long-relinquished gonads.

I can't imagine that waiting a few months extra until, say, 9 months, will have a major problematic impact.

I will say that the surgery was more complicated than the removal of properly located testicles -- the testicle that was undescended needed another incision higher up on his abdomen, so recovery was somewhat more involved (but not enormously).


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## corkscrew (Aug 4, 2016)

Our mini is cryptorchid (unilateral) and we wrestled with the question of when to neuter as well. After speaking with the breeder, vet, and reading about the condition on our own, we decided the benefits of allowing him a few more months to develop outweighed the slightly increased risk of developing cancer. Waiting til Milo's growth plates close sounds appropriate, at least to us!


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