My cat only has one testicle. Should I worry and can he be neutered?

Neutering the cat with one testicle descended should be no problem if you let the vet know ahead of time so the vet can plan extra time to find and extract the undescended testicle. It is usually not a big problem, however sometimes the veterinarian has to open the abdomen to remove the testicle if it is not located anywhere near the inguinal ring. Just removing the descended testicle and leaving the other one behind would not be acceptable practice.

Marshal is likely a cryptorchid which means he still has a testicle retained in his abdomen. He should absolutely be neutered as the retained testicle makes Marshal at high risk for a certain type of cancer called a Sertoli cell tumor. I'd recommend having Marshal neutered right away. The veterinarian will need to remove both the testicle in the scrotum and the one that is retained in the abdomen. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best wishes to you and Marshal!

Hi there. If you don't want to neuter him, then yes - I would recommend having the abdominal testicle removed, and leaving the other one alone. The abdominal testicle needs to be removed because it will likely develop into a testicular tumor later on in life if it's not taken out.

You need to go back to the vet who did the neuter and ask for the surgery report which should say whether only one testicle was removed or both. You can also have your cat tested (blood test) for hormonal activity which will then show whether he has a hormone-producing testicle left. If that is the case, I would go back to the original vet and ask him to remove the retained testicle. If he only removed one testicle he should have informed you and also told you that your tom was not neutered. Retained testicles can become cancerous as well.

It is possible that one testicle is retained in the abdomen. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Yes, I recommend neutering and removing both testicles. This can be a genetic problem so you don’t want to breed him. The testicle that is in the abdomen has an increased chance of developing testicular cancer in the future so removing now is best. This surgery is more like spaying a female dog, with only a slightly longer recovery than a typical male dog neuter. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rex.

Dogs have two testicles. Soon after they are born they descend from the abdomen into the scrotum. If only one has descended then the other testicle is retained in the abdomen. This testicle should be surgically removed since the retained testicle can develop cancer more often than the normal testicle. Usually when he’s neutered they will remove the one in the scrotum and open him up like spaying a female to remove the other one. This can be a genetic problem so I do not recommend breeding him. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Ash.