This is why we neuter...

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SURGERY PICTURES INCLUDED

There's a condition in male dogs called Cryptorchidism. It can affect any breed...and is simply when one or two testicles don't drop into the scrotum. This is hereditary and if not neutered brings more chance of cancer and disease. If your dog suffers from this, you'd better neuter. Don't wait to see if it'll drop...it won't. This little guy is 13 years old, and was never neutered...he'd been cryptorchid his whole life.

Well, the owner comes in saying his abdomen, probably his testicle, is swollen. ...here he is on his back on the surgery table. The right testicle is the one that never dropped, and can be seen between his leg and manhood.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002270.jpg

This one, shows you just how big it is in contrast to the normal one.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002272.jpg

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We got to neutering right away, and on the normal testicle...there was fluid where there shouldn't be. It was the oddest thing.

The doctor is pointing at the fluid with the hemostats.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002273.jpg

But, the testicle came out normally and seemed normal other than the fluid.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002278.jpg

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Then, the next one...came out a little more slowly and with less ease...it was an odd shape.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002282.jpg

And also had a quite a bit of fluid running to it, too.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002283.jpg

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And, here you have both of them side by side. The left testicle seems to have a tumor growing off of it. Probably cancer.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002287.jpg

Here, you can really see the tumor on it...

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/WDVC/S5002292.jpg

The biopsy should come back any day now...

But, this is certainly why you neuter if you don't plan to breed.

[That_girl]

This condition isn't normally painful for the dog, right? this dog's case was a little unusual...was he in pain?

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It didn't, and doesn't usually, hurt...just got really swollen really fast.

[That_girl]

Good to know :) Is there any indication of why this guy only started having problems so much later? Maybe because of the possible cancer?

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Probably because the cancer finally set in. When they're cryptorchid, they can disrupt other things or potentially start growing tumors or become infected...there's a number of things that could go wrong. We recently neutered a dog bred for show, Belgian Teruvian, because he was bilaterly cryptorchid...meaning, neither one never dropped.

[That_girl]

We recently neutered a dog bred for show, Belgian Teruvian, because he was bilaterly cryptorchid...meaning, neither one never dropped.


I am fascinated...sorry for the 20 questions, lol. How common is it to be bilateraly cryptochid?

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It's okay, ask away. :)

...bilateraly is less common than just one. This surgery is more extensive because you have to generally open the abdomen and go searching for a testicle or two. This little guy was somewhat lucky, his was swollen so the doctor knew just where it was and could pull it through the neuter incision.

[dlaura]

Poor little guy. How is he doing post surgery?

[xpalaboyx]

ouch.... i hope this buddy is ok... any update?

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He's doing fine. He actually was in surgery for 6 hours.

He had his neuter, three tumor removals on his skin, one tumor removal in his throat, and then a dental with 5 extractions.