I have a 5 month old whippet pup who's got a testicle where it should be and another that's disappeared! It was in his groin a few weeks ago and you could see, feel and move it to the where it should be, it seemed to be gradually moving its self in the right direction but now it's disappeared and I can't find it, I took it to my vet for advice as he was bought as a show and stud dog as he has fantastic breeding and conformation, my vet can't feel it either, My vet told me that it was highly unlikely to re appear and that he'll have to be castrated, has anyone else had a similar experience and the testicle returned? I'm gutted! I know people usually say to leave it later, but realistically, is this testicle going to make an appearance?!

Whether it does or doesn't there is no hurry to have it removed, and no real reason to castrate (though of course if he only has one he should not be bred from).

I would seriously re-consider breeding from him even if it does appear, as the tendency to them being very late and absence in other cases may well be linked.  What I mean is that late droppers may be more likely to produce monorchids.

Have you been fiddling about with it often, as they can withdraw them as puppies.

Do whippets especially his lines have an issue with monorchidism or late appearance????

As far as I'm aware there's no history of problems on either of his parents sides, all of his immediate family are show dogs and happy, healthy with everything where it should be (which is why I bought him)

I haven't fiddled with it much and it was literally almost all the way there when it disappeared, neither vet at his puppy jabs were concerned by anything and were completely happy. I hadn't really taken much notice of where it was in the last week or 2 and when it did look it had completely disappeared, the vet's had a good feel around and can't feel it at all now. I'm just wondering what the likelihood of it coming back is, and is it normal for them to appear, almost get to where they should be and then disappear off the face of the earth

As for the breeding, I'm not too concerned about that in that if it's best not to breed from him then I won't, but a bit gutted for the show ring as he's such a correct, perfect dog in every other way possible

If its still feelable in the groin I would say there is a possibility. It depends on whether the inguinal ring has closed. People tend to have varying opinions on when it closes. Some say 8 weeks,some  say several months but one thing is sure,if its on the wrong side when it does close, it will never drop.

Has it ever been in the scrotum or just in the groin area? I hate this condition, I have experience of it and known others. None have ever gone on to have two where they should be. Although others will have more positive experiences, but I do think they are the few not the many.

I too would not breed from a dog that dropped late, I do think there is a link between this and monorchids.
As for castration, vets love to do this asap but there is no need to rush at it. If one does stay up in the abdomen, at some point it will need to be removed because there is an increased risk of cancer in later life ( It may be because they are kept too warm in the abdomen, when they are meant to be outside and cooler, I don't know) but that doesn't mean the dropped one will have to go as well.

Good luck and stop feeling for a bit, it may be, left alone it will come down. BTW if you have a vet that is good at scans, like mine, it is perfectly possible for them to see where they are on a scan and from that be able to judge the likelihood  of it dropping.

A freind of mine who couldn't afford to keep an extra dog if he couldn't be shown, at five months had her boy scanned to see which side of teh inguinal ring the testicle was. 

The scan showed it was well above the inguinal ring (so would never be able to come down), and he was able to be found a pet home sooner than later.

If your going to keep him anyway, then just don't enter any shows, and wait and see, though a scan with someone who does diagnostic scanning a lot will at least let you know, for the future should you wish to have it removed.

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It was down and almost in the scrotum the suddenly it disappeared and we can't feel it at all, it was on the correct side before, it's so frustrating as it was there a few weeks ago. Breeding isn't my main priority although with his pedigree it would have been nice! I will keep him anyway even if it doesn't appear but the vet frightened the life out of me yesterday. I've spoken to his breeder about it and they've never had any problems with any litters sired by any of their dogs before and neither has this bitch and she's had many litters including from this dog

Your vet could try a testosterone injection which may encourage the testicle to re appear and drop.
It might be worth a try if he is a promising as you think.

BTW there is no study i am aware of which shows that late descending testicles are linked to males then going on to produce monorchids, this is just a presumption which may or may not be true but probably has no scientific basis.

Giving a testosterone inj. isn't going to get it past a closed inguinal ring.

The vet should be able to palpate the missing teste in the abdo or wherever it is hiding, may take an experienced vet to do this[ many moons ago we were told our 4 month old dachsie would need surgery to remove an undescended teste,the senior vet at his annual vac check up told us there wasn't one in his abdo,he was over 13 when he died with just his single family jewel], don't be rushed into surgery by scare stories.

I'd understand it if it hadn't been so close to being in the right place, it it realistic to think that it made its way back up then the ring closed just as it happened? Because all of this has happened over the course of a week or 2, would it not be pretty bad luck for that to happen if it was almost dropped? I'm so confused at the minute. I'll no way rush into surgery but the vet told me there was nothing he could do, none of the treatments or injections worked and it was highly unlikely that it would ever drop so he'd need to be castrated. Frightened the life out of me bearing in mind he's a 5 month old puppy

The temperatures over the past weeks will not have helped as the testes,even the one already in the sac, will go up when cold and down when hot, the inguinal gap must have closed enough to stop one going too far but not enough to stop the other one, I know as a developing pup one is placed higher in the body [must find out which] and therefore has farther to travel.

Just a thought but could it have been an inguinal hernia you were feeling in the groin and not a teste?

Here is an easy to follow explanation of the development and descent of the testes, it's a miracle they ever reach where they are supposed to be.

http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/cryptorchidism.html#testis-drop

Enjoy

whatever happens imo opinion you certainly shouldnt rush to castrate.

My 11wk old pup hasn't dropped any yet,and most advice I got,was to leave it as long as possible before considering surgery.

Wow, that's amazing! Too tired and rusty in my science to follow it all, but it was fascinating anyway!

Yes I've read that before, absolutely fascinating stuff and yes it is amazing everything normally gets to where it should be. Even if one of the 'ropes' as I call them gets tangled or is slightly too short, its enough to stop one getting down.

To the OP....."I'd understand it if it hadn't been so close to being in the right place, it it realistic to think that it made its way back up then the ring closed just as it happened? Because all of this has happened over the course of a week or 2, would it not be pretty bad luck for that to happen if it was almost dropped?"

My vet has actually seen one trapped inside the ring, totally stuck between a rock and a hard place. So anything and everything is possible.

Good god, that website nearly made me pass out, haha!!

Sorry Inka, I hope you weren't eating, I thought the visuals would help as this subject comes up alot.

LOL it is very helpful I'm sure :)

Here is an easy to follow explanation of the development and descent of the testes

Quote,
I have personally heard of a case whereby a cryptorchid show dog was given a prosthetic testicle to hide the fact that one of its testicles was not descended, only for the true testicle to descend later on, resulting in the show dog having three testicles for a brief period of time before the prosthesis was removed

Poor dog, still amazed by people!

Poor dog, I'm definitely not that desperate to show him that I'd put him through that for my own selfish reasons. His testicle is moving back down again now so I'm hoping it comes down and stays there this time! He is after all only 5 months...... Think I'll stick to bitches in future mind!