Q&A: Male Pup's Descended Testicles
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Q&A: Male Pup's Descended Testicles
Q: My male puppy is eight weeks old, and my vet is concerned that his testicles have not descended. Should I be worried?
A: Your vet was concerned because most male puppies' testicles descend by about 10 days of age, and eight weeks is a point at which a dog can be said to be a cryptorchid [testicles retained in the abdomen]. However, some dogs can have testicles drop as late as when six months old.
You and your vet need to monitor this situation. If your dog passes six or seven months old and still does not have its testicles descended, your vet may urge that the dog be neutered to avoid the risk of cancer.
Here is a detailed discussion of the problem of cryptorchidism or "hidden testis," the problem your pup would have if his testicles did not descend:
http://www.vianet.net.au/~desaix/chrypt.htm
Here are some other resources on male health problems that might be of interest to you:
http://www.vetinfo.com/dmale.html
I hope by the time you receive this that the situation has improved, but if not the above may be helpful to you in thinking about your dog's health. In any case, your vet should help you make any decisions in this matter.
