undescended testicle - Page 1

Benny is 13 weeks today and goes to the vet tomorrow for histhird round of shots, My daughters friend who is studying to be a vet tech informed me yesterday that he has an undescenced  testicle. My last GSD from the same breeder was also cryptorchid with two undescended testicles, My daughters " know it all" friend said this is a bad breeder, I do not agree because she has beautiful dogs, many still healthy at ages 14 and 15. They have won many awards in Conformation and Obedience as well as CGC and  are working in Shutzund and other areas.
I know that if Benny has an undescended testicle he should be neutered to lower the risk of cancer. I had no intention on breeding him anyway. but my question is when is the best time, With  Eli my last GSD the vet recommended nuetering at 6 months so we did and Eli never seemd to completely go through puberty. He never learned to lift his leg and even though raised in a noisy house with 4 teenagers he would get scared and climb in my lap when someone would use a power tool, He let much smaller dogs dominate him. He was very loving, stayed by my side during cancer and died suddenly in his sleep last May at two months shy of 9. I went back up to the same breeder because she still has Eli's mother who is 15 and one of his sisters. I fell in love with Benny whose great grandmother was Eli's grandma.

My question is how common is crytorchidsim and if I had waited later, until he was a year old would it have made a difference for Eli in his temperament? My son says he likely had a heart attack or stroke because he had a 100 lb. nine year old body but was always stressing like a puppy, jumping around and getting excited like a puppy when he saw his leash etc.

I want to neuter Benny at the best possible age

There is every  chance it could still come down at that age.
What sort of resposnible breeder uses a dog at stud with only one ball !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You really are unreal
My god i hope that some of you potential puppy customers have just read your reply,
beggers belief

If I read Haughmills reply correctly the dog she bred with one testicle  was normal but needed the other testicle amputated because of an accident.    This would not cause any bad genetics to be passed on.

Anyway I am definiterly going to neuter Benny and was planning too even if he had both as I am not a breeder, ( just a GSD lover),. I am just asking is there is a  difference in the adult dogs maturity and temperament depending onb wjhether they are neutered at 6 months, 1 year or later. Thanks.   Bennys breede does not believe even males who are not to be bred should be neutered and my vey says 6 months so it is confusing.

I had a boy years ago who only had one, ( had to have one amputated as he almost ripped it off when a youngster) and he sired 2 litters.


the dog HAD 2 balls, one was amputated due to injury........what is wrong with this???

shepherdpal,
I don't think that your breeder is bad but I do have to question anybody who sells a male puppy without letting the future owner know if both testicles are descended or not.
We sell males for pet prices with limited registration if the testicle is not descended by 10 to 12 weeks. We make the buyer aware of it and give them the option to get their deposit back or opt for another puppy if available.
As to neutering them: An undescended testicle can turn cancerous in middle age, due to the body temperature and the cell changes. But it is not necessary to neuter them earlier than other males with descended ones. They too should not be neutered too early, so they can go through puberty and become an adult first.
Years ago, the now deceased East German judge and Körmeister Werner Dalm told me about a GDR study of the inheritance of cryptorchism and it is found that it is passed on very easily. Further, males whose own testicle descended late (between 8 to 12 weeks) were many times more likely to pass this condition on. So, to me all this effort of massaging testicles down, stitching it in place (so the ring closes with the testicle in the scrotum) and/or hormone injections are just masquarading this problem. Not worth it!
Chris

OK I ave never had a dog with testicle problems. I would look into it since this is second dog from the same breeder that has testicle issues....
Another thing is, neutering a dog at 6 mos (if good genetics) should never alter behavior as you described it.. that is either poor genetics or undersocialization (sp).
One of my klients fixed their male at the age of 6 mos at the advice of the vet... i tell you what I almost died that day. They did not know and trusted their vet. nice clueless people. This dog has no issues with anything. Genetics would not allow him that and th socialization was done properly.
Good luck. I would consult this with couple vets and still fix him at the age of one or so.

GSDPack,
the issue is not behavior. It is maturity! It has to do with hormone levels! When males are neutered too early they will not develop the typical male characteristics. They will usually be long legged and thin. The head might not be as pronounced etc. And yes, it can or cannot influence certain character traits. Just look at the difference in horses between a stallion and a gelding. Somebody we ride with had major temperament issues in a horse who was left intact for his first 5 years of life.
I am in the office right now, but will look it up tonight. There was a vet study done on that subject in dogs!
Chris