Aa
Testicles still inside
Hello,
My 9 and a half year Golden Retreiver has both his testicles still inside. He is otherwise healthy, happy and alert, goes for regular walks and eats well. A USG, Blood and Stool tests were done and reports are alright. The USG shows that one testicle is small and the other little large. The vet suggested surgery to remove both the testicles asap, otherwise, if not done, it could develop cancer.
I would like to know whether the surgery should be done or not. Few people suggest not to go ahead with the surgery as complications could arise and few people have said to go ahead with the surgery.
Now I am perplexed as to what to decide - should the surgery be done or not.
Your urgent response will be most appreciated as time (otherwise) is passing fast.
Pl do kindly reply on an urgent basis.
Thank you and God bless.
My 9 and a half year Golden Retreiver has both his testicles still inside. He is otherwise healthy, happy and alert, goes for regular walks and eats well. A USG, Blood and Stool tests were done and reports are alright. The USG shows that one testicle is small and the other little large. The vet suggested surgery to remove both the testicles asap, otherwise, if not done, it could develop cancer.
I would like to know whether the surgery should be done or not. Few people suggest not to go ahead with the surgery as complications could arise and few people have said to go ahead with the surgery.
Now I am perplexed as to what to decide - should the surgery be done or not.
Your urgent response will be most appreciated as time (otherwise) is passing fast.
Pl do kindly reply on an urgent basis.
Thank you and God bless.
Thanks for the update. Would love to hear, later on, how it all turns out. Best wishes.
Hello and thank you so very much for your views, which I just got to see. I did go for a second opinon and have been advised to do an xray for a clearer picture, after which, the vet will diagnose accordingly....on reading your views, I feel, just as a few other well wishers, that it is best to let it be considering he is going to be 10 in march. We would like for him to spend the rest of his life living happily with us as he is so so very much loved by our family. Let us take each day as it comes and hope for the very best. It is also said that not all cases turn into cancer and maybe he falls under that lucky 5% so I trust. I am a firm believer in the Almighty and HE has always come to my rescue in some very very difficult trying times in my life and WE have won the battles. So I leave my darling pet in God's care as HE knows best for what is needed and good for the both of us. Thank you once again and my best wishes to you for peace and happiness.
Why is it so urgent now that surgery is being considered on a dog this age? That should have been addressed long before now.
It's a hard call, which is why people have different opinions about it. It's a very invasive surgery, so it won't necessarily be easy for him to recover from it, and there's always a slight risk that a pet, especially an older one, can die under anaesthesia. On the other hand, yes, he does have a greater-than-normal risk of testicular cancer, due to undescended testes. I think you have to make a judgment call as to whether you are more comfortable putting him through the stress of the surgery or more comfortable living with the risk of cancer. It's not a happy choice to have to make, I know.
I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you that with every month that went by, I would be less inclined to do the surgery, and I wouldn't do it after he turned ten. The normal lifespan for golden retrievers is ten to 14 years. 14 years is an exceptionally long lifespan for a golden retriever, comparable to a human lifespan in the 90's, so he is in no way guaranteed to live to age 14, neuter surgery or no neuter surgery. It's possible you could do the surgery, and then he could die of a stroke six months later, and you would feel silly for having had him neutered. Or you might choose not to do the surgery, and there's a possibility he could get cancer. It's just how things are; all of our days are numbered. But as for me personally, I wouldn't do anything to lessen his quality of life after age ten, because he really could go anytime, at that point.
Perhaps you will want to get a second veterinary opinion, but I encourage you to make your decision within the next few months. IMHO, there's no absolute right or wrong here; it's just a matter of making a decision you can live with, no matter how things turn out. Try to figure out what you value most, and go with that. Once you make your decision, don't look back. Sorry if my post seems like a bit of gloom-and-doom, but those of us who have senior dogs (my older one just turned 10) have to think about managing both their quantity and quality of life, and that's not always easy. I would support you either way in this decision about the neutering surgery, but if you are going to do it, do it soon. Good luck.
I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you that with every month that went by, I would be less inclined to do the surgery, and I wouldn't do it after he turned ten. The normal lifespan for golden retrievers is ten to 14 years. 14 years is an exceptionally long lifespan for a golden retriever, comparable to a human lifespan in the 90's, so he is in no way guaranteed to live to age 14, neuter surgery or no neuter surgery. It's possible you could do the surgery, and then he could die of a stroke six months later, and you would feel silly for having had him neutered. Or you might choose not to do the surgery, and there's a possibility he could get cancer. It's just how things are; all of our days are numbered. But as for me personally, I wouldn't do anything to lessen his quality of life after age ten, because he really could go anytime, at that point.
Perhaps you will want to get a second veterinary opinion, but I encourage you to make your decision within the next few months. IMHO, there's no absolute right or wrong here; it's just a matter of making a decision you can live with, no matter how things turn out. Try to figure out what you value most, and go with that. Once you make your decision, don't look back. Sorry if my post seems like a bit of gloom-and-doom, but those of us who have senior dogs (my older one just turned 10) have to think about managing both their quantity and quality of life, and that's not always easy. I would support you either way in this decision about the neutering surgery, but if you are going to do it, do it soon. Good luck.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Dogs Community
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
