Can Cryptorchidism be Corrected in Dogs?
What causes cryptorchidism and how common is it?
Cryptorchidism occurs in all breeds but toy breeds, including toy Poodles, Pomeranians, and Yorkshire Terriers, may be at higher risk. Approximately 75% of cases of cryptorchidism involve only one retained testicle while the remaining 25% involve failure of both testicles to descend into the scrotum. The right testicle is more than twice as likely to be retained as the left testicle. Cryptorchidism affects approximately 1-3% of all dogs. The condition appears to be inherited since it is commonly seen in families of dogs, although the exact cause is not fully understood.
Diagnosis of Retained Testicles in Dogs
Although this condition should be noticed by the veterinarian at your puppy’s first examination between six and eight weeks, sometimes it may go unnoticed until a later age. A good example of this is if you get your dog when it is older and the first owner did not get the puppy checked by a veterinarian or if your male dog was mistaken for a female because it has bilateral cryptorchidism (although this would be rare as their penis should still be visible). Either way, provide the veterinarian with as much information about your dog’s history as you have. This should include medical records, vaccinations, illnesses or injuries, changes in behavior or appetite, and any symptoms you have noticed.
Your veterinarian will then do a physical examination of your dog. A complete physical exam will include heart rate, weight, body temperature, and blood pressure. After the examination, the veterinarian may do some tests, including urinalysis, stool sample, semen sample, x-rays, and ultrasound. He may also need to do a CT scan and/or MRI if necessary to see exactly where your dog’s testicle(s) are located.
How to Treat Cryptorchidism in Dogs
Today I want to talk to you about Frankie. Frankie came in for a routine neuter today, unfortunately, it wasn’t routine. Frankie is cryptorchid and so today I want to tell you what that is, how we find it, and why Coastal Animal Hospital is the place to go if your dog has it.
So, what is “Cryptorchid?” The word literally means, hidden testicle. This is when 1 or both of the testicles fail to descend in to the scrotum. If your pet is over 6 months of age and they still haven’t had both testicles drop, then chances are, they may never and this will require surgery to find and remove them. This is a really important surgery because a high percentage of cryptorchid testicles will eventually turn in to large tumors, so early removal is key.
Fortunately we can find most of these testicles because, like Frankie, they often make it to the inguinal area, but just don’t quite get there. This is ideal because the surgery to remove these inguinal testes is fairly routine.
However, if they are not in the inguinal canal, then finding them and removing them can be more difficult. Here at Coastal, we can first perform an ultrasound to try and locate the hidden testicle prior to surgery. Once located, traditionally we would have to make a large incision and open up their abdomen to remove these, alternatively, some practices will try to remove them by making a small incision and using a hook to snare the testicle and pull it out. However, this can be associated with severe complications if the wrong organ is blindly hooked and it is well documented that other structures like the ureters have been inadvertently damaged in the process. This is where we are really excited to step forward and do these surgeries because we are the only general practice in San Diego performing this surgery Laparoscopically. We make 2 tiny incisions and go in to the abdomen with a camera which magnifies all of the internal structures making it easy to identify and remove the hidden testicle. Just like in humans, laparoscopy is a less painful way to have surgery done and these pups are back to their old antics in no time. Not to mention that this is also associated with lower complications which helps all of us to sleep better.
So if your dog is cryptorchid, call us here at Coastal Animal Hospital and we can take care of these hidden testicles with less pain and fewer complications which will make your and your pet’s life better.