I have recently bought a 17month old dog (very small, toy breed). A beautiful example of the breed but only one testis. Obviously I will not be breeding from him but I would like to  know if I should have the surgery straight away to stop the risk of cancer forming or wait a while. I very much doubt the testis will drop now but either way I wouldn't breed would just be better to have the most minimally invasive surgery possible.

I have a phobia of GA ever since losing a health male whilst being neutered.

advice appreciated.

At a recent seminar I attended with Christine Zink, she said there is no rush to have the retained testicle removed; whilst it is true the risk of cencer forming exists you can safely wait until a dog is fully mature until removing and, if advisable, combine this with any other operation he may have to have.

One of ours was cryptorchid, but as he also had other major problems.
I'd also leave for as long as possible. I cheekily ask his orthopaedic specialist if he would neuter him when he phoned from theatre to say having looked at the X rays he was not going to do anything, & bless him he did.
I asked at the time because he had had so many GA's & did want him to undergo another, but looking back he wasn't more than 14 months & I think it was too soon. He is now 7, but has always remained very much a pup. Good luck.

The second teste may not have formed, this happened with my Mums first dachsie, young vet said he would need surgery to find and remove it, at the next vet visit a year later he was examined by the the senior vet and there was no second teste and in view of Rusty's timid nature he got to keep the one that had descended[ we as a family have never neutered a male dog] he died of old age at nearly 14yrs old.

So before committing him to surgery similar to a spay make sure the teste can be found on palpation/scan.