A piece of popular science knowledge that does not require popular science is that male dogs have two small balls. However, some dogs have a developmental malformation that causes one or both sides of the testicles to disappear, causing the dog to l...
A piece of popular science knowledge that does not require popular science is that male dogs have two "small balls." However, some dogs have a developmental malformation that causes one or both sides of the testicles to "disappear", causing the dog to "lost" its balls without being neutered, or to have only one egg. So, do you know why dogs only have one egg?
1. What is cryptorchidism
During the growth of male animals, the testicles will naturally descend from the abdominal cavity to the scrotum. During the descent process, the testicles get stuck in abnormal parts of the abdominal cavity, the inguinal canal, and outside the scrotum, causing the normal development of the testicles to be affected. This abnormal state is called cryptorchidism.
2. What are the effects of cryptorchidism in dogs?
1. Impact on the fertility of dogs.
If the dog has unilateral cryptorchidism, it will still retain a certain degree of fertility. However, if both sides have cryptorchidism, it will basically have no fertility. Moreover, cryptorchidism is also hereditary to a certain extent, so it is not recommended to breed dogs with cryptorchidism.
2. Cause testicular cancer
Generally cryptorchidism grows in the abdominal cavity or abdominal subcutaneous of dogs. The temperature of the abdominal cavity and abdominal subcutaneous is higher than the normal temperature of the testicles. If not treated with surgery in time, tumors may slowly form and may eventually become malignant. If testicular cancer is not treated in time, serious hematopoietic dysfunction, anemia, poor coagulation and other problems will occur, which will eventually be life-threatening. Therefore, dogs with cryptorchidism should go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible.
3. How to check for cryptorchidism in dogs
The examination of cryptorchidism in dogs can be done by visual inspection, palpation, B-ultrasound examination, etc.
1. Inspection: If the dog is about 6 months old and its testicles still have not drooped to the scrotum, the owner can observe that the dog does not have two obvious testicles or only has one obvious testicle.
2. By palpation, the owner cannot feel one testicle or both testicles in the scrotum.
3. B-ultrasound examination shows that one or both sides of the dog’s testicles are not in the scrotum, but in the abdominal cavity or other locations.
4. What to do about cryptorchidism in dogs
If your dog has cryptorchidism, you should consult your pet doctor in time. If the position of the testicle cannot be determined by touch, you will need to perform B-ultrasound or color ultrasound to determine the position before surgery. It is recommended that the surgery be performed when the dog is about 6 months old. At this time, the dog’s reproductive organs can be checked to see if they are healthy. At the same time, the vaccinations have been completed and the dog is relatively healthy.
