Print

Treatment

The castration of both testes is generally recommended. Even if one testis has descended and the other has not, your veterinarian will most likely counsel you to have both removed. Surgical placement of an undescended testicle into the scrotum is considered unethical. There has been some anecdotal evidence that human hormones, when given to dogs less than four months old, will motivate the descent of the testis. Descent after four months of age is rare, and after six months, unlikely. Although there may be no outward symptoms or obvious repercussions of the condition, it is not advised to leave the undescended testis in the body, since there is a risk of testicular cancer with retained testes. Further, a dog with this condition should be castrated by the time it has reached four years of age.