To neuter or Not to neuter - Page 1

I am really torn on this topic and am just looking for info to help make up my mind... My wife's GSD only had one testicle descend and he is getting to the age (3 yrs old)  where we need to decide if it makes sense to do. I have heard for years that the undescended testicle can become cancerous, but is it actually any more likely to become cancerous just because it did not drop? I know there are tons of wolfs and coyotes in the wild with only one ball, do they actually have a shorter life span because of it? I know the idea of spaying and neutering has become so very common place in pet society, but the reality is, the agenda was pushed to help curb pet population. I really am torn on weather the dogs health will be better for having the procedure.

What are your thoughts and experience?

I would leave it be until he's older- 6-7 if it worries you. Give him the benefit of his hormones as long as possible for overall health, then neuter if you're concerned, before the typical age of cancer onset. Remember, it's not so much that they're so likely to get testicular cancer, it's that *if* they get it, then it's more dangerous being in the abdominal cavity and harder to catch before it's spread. OR- find a vet who will remove just the retained testicle. Really, any vet should do it; it's your dog, not theirs. 

I would talk to a reproduction specialists;  oncologist also;  find out from the horses mouth.  They will have stats on the subject, maybe even have watched some of these guys grow up and have been able to follow them thru life.  That would be my suggestion.  My GSD boy that I did neuter at approx. 10 months went to hell.  Pannus, auto immune, DM.  At least your boy is a bit older and has matured somewhat to what he  will be for the rest of his life;  my boy was neutered way too  young, changed his whole body structure, not to mention his attitude, health, temperament and on-going weight issues for the rest of his life, which was not quite 8 years old due to DM.  Fed a raw diet part of the time but still did not help his overall health issues.  Soooooo, I had heard the same thing about the cancer, etc.  but maybe just go up and get the undecended testicle, leave the healthy one?  Might be an answer at least to the harmone change or lack of harmones during the rest of their life...Which will help with weight and other health related issues as they age. 

I am sorry this is all I can offer you as far as experience with the problem, but I at this point don't feel neutering is the answer;  also feel this is another health related issued the dog world has dropped the ball ...JMHO  Nan

If it were my dog i would have my vet remove the missing nut and leave the other. Having worked for a vet i've seen many a case of testicular cancer, and prostrait cancer in males. Those with a retained do have a higer incidence of becoming cancerous. I've found many a tumor in small breeds dogs that i groomed because the owners didn't bother to have it take care of. In larger breeds ir seems to be the prostrait that is the problem. (can't easily remove that)

My sister's boxer was neutered at 5 due to testicular cancer. He's now 11 and the cancer is spread through his lungs and other organs. He's not got a lot longer to live Her dog had both nuts fully desended.

I don't think anyone is studying wild canines with retained testies. But i'd be interested in learning if such a study was ongoing.

Fry

I adopted an unneutered male rescue GSD at age 3. Having grown up in the '60s, in the era when few people bothered neutering male dogs, I decided to let him be. I had a securely fenced yard, and there was no way he was going to be allowed to roam the streets and sow his wild oats.

Then he developed a severe prostate infection. Once it had cleared up, I had him neutered. These infections tend to come back, and the vet said his prostate was very, very enlarged. The best way to get it to shrink back to normal was to have him castrated.

He was in a lot of pain following the surgery, and his scrotum swelled to the size of a grapefruit. If I ever neuter a fully mature male again, I will ask the vet to remove the scrotum too, so that can't  happen.

That was 10 years ago. He's never had a problem with his weight. He still occasionally took on other males that got in his face and challenged him, and he still courted the ladies, and would even tie with a willing bitch. The only change in his behavior was I no longer had to worry about him peeing on the front counter when we visited the vet! 

He's now 13 years old, and has had a very long, healthy life, although now arthritis in his spine is affecting his ability to walk. 

Thank you for all the advise, if we do decide to neuter him i think i will wait till he is a bit older

I've had the wonderful joy of owning two cryptorchids, not related, or even both GSDs, mind you. 

Go figure, eh?

Anyhow... In both cases, I had each dog neutered after their third birth day. I had both the descended and retained testicles removed. I see no need for an unfit animal to have any chance at passing on their genes. I'm pro spay/neuter as a way of culling undesirable traits like retained testicles.  Neither dog had any ill effects from the procedure. Both went on to live long, happy lives, with no complications or health problems to date. Neither animal ever "acted" neutered, and continued to behave like a normal male. High drive, no weight gain, and they're still interested in the ladies .  Neither of them ever acted like anything other than an intact male. One of them I went on to trial with; he did very well.