Testicles (one Undecended)

[Zereuloh]

I took my 12 week old pup to the vet today for a check up and to get his 12 week vacs. All went well, except for one testicle has descended and the other hasn't. THe vet asked if we were planning on desexing which we are - and we said that the breeder told us 9 months once he has matured would be the way to go. The vet mentioned that there were benefits to getting it done earlier (prevents certain behaviours, humping, marking territory), but definitely not before four months. She said that it is likely the other one would descend on its own. Was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this and what the likely hood of the other descending as she said?

[LisaCC]

I took my 12 week old pup to the vet today for a check up and to get his 12 week vacs. All went well, except for one testicle has descended and the other hasn't. THe vet asked if we were planning on desexing which we are - and we said that the breeder told us 9 months once he has matured would be the way to go. The vet mentioned that there were benefits to getting it done earlier (prevents certain behaviours, humping, marking territory), but definitely not before four months. She said that it is likely the other one would descend on its own. Was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this and what the likely hood of the other descending as she said?

This in my opinion is bull crap. Plenty of threads on it as well. My last dog was desexed at 6 months and didn't start those behaviours until 3 months later, you just train them not to do it.

Take your breeders advice and do it 9months +

[Zereuloh]

I took my 12 week old pup to the vet today for a check up and to get his 12 week vacs. All went well, except for one testicle has descended and the other hasn't. THe vet asked if we were planning on desexing which we are - and we said that the breeder told us 9 months once he has matured would be the way to go. The vet mentioned that there were benefits to getting it done earlier (prevents certain behaviours, humping, marking territory), but definitely not before four months. She said that it is likely the other one would descend on its own. Was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this and what the likely hood of the other descending as she said?

This in my opinion is bull crap. Plenty of threads on it as well. My last dog was desexed at 6 months and didn't start those behaviours until 3 months later, you just train them not to do it.

Take your breeders advice and do it 9months +

This was my thought too, was that I would still plan on desexing at 9 months. I've read too much information suggesting getting it done before maturity does damage hormonally etc.

[OSoSwift]

desexing does not cure training issues!

Go with your breeder and leave it until 9 months.

Edited July 30, 2013 by OSoSwift

[DesertDobes]

My male had one undescended, I left him till he was 9 months and then he had the surgery. The other testicle was very internal and was not going to descend on its own and so the surgery was expensive and invasive. I would have left it even later except our only vet surgery were removing their desexing subsidy for dogs over the age of 5 months so I was looking at a $1000 plus operation if I hadn't had it done when I did.

I don't think early desexing makes any difference to behaviour, leave the desexing until later so your pup can grow properly.

What breed is he?

[DesertDobes]

Oh also, my male dobe is substantially taller than his brothers and is less muscular so even at 9 months it has altered his physique.

[Zereuloh]

My male had one undescended, I left him till he was 9 months and then he had the surgery. The other testicle was very internal and was not going to descend on its own and so the surgery was expensive and invasive. I would have left it even later except our only vet surgery were removing their desexing subsidy for dogs over the age of 5 months so I was looking at a $1000 plus operation if I hadn't had it done when I did.

I don't think early desexing makes any difference to behaviour, leave the desexing until later so your pup can grow properly.

What breed is he?

He is a pembroke corgi :)

[Simply Grand]

I too would go with your breeders advice and do it at 9 months.. My Sheltie Riley had an undescended testicle. I was planning on desexing him at 12 months anyway as he was a bit of a runt and I wanted to give him every chance to grow, and from what I researched there was a chance the testicle would still descend but if it didn't he would still be young enough that it wouldn't cause problems with cancer etc.

Turns out it stayed well and truly in his abdomen and desexing ended up costing about $550 instead of the $200 odd it would have been, but what can you do?

He started displaying more "boy" type behaviors (more interest in females, trying to dominate other males) at 8-9 months so I'd say that's a good age to desex a small-ish breed boy :)

ETA - oh yes, and my other boy, who was desexed at 6 mths, still has a bit of a go at humping, dominating when it takes his fancy anyway

Edited July 30, 2013 by Simply Grand

[luvsdogs]

My runt JS had one descended testicle when we got him at 8 weeks old. By the time he went in for his 2nd vac with my vet they were both undescended. A few months later they still hadn't descended & the vet said the rings had closed so no chance they would come down & by 8 months they still hadn't. I decided to have him desexed then, instead of the 12 months+ that I had hoped because of conflicting stories of when it should be done. He had started marking in the house & also had a tooth that needed removing so he was spayed at 8 months. He hasn't attempted to mark in the house since & is now 2 years old. I since learned that they can be left until 12 months.