Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My dog has no testicles. How to tell if he's neutered or cryptorchid?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | 23 days old | 53 lbs

My son found a approx 5 month old male Shep/husky mix? Age was deducted from his baby canines 3 out of 4 we're adult. He has no testicals and a minute sack. A scar is not found. Is there a reasonable way to see if he has been neutered or a bilateral cryptorchid? I have been told to just take him to surgery and exploritory surgery and or neuter would be done..I did take him to one of your vets to palpate to check, but he struggled and no conclusion was met.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By David Darvishian

Veterinarian

Published on December 9th, 2017

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Lucas. You have two choices here. One is, of course, an exploratory to look for abdominally retained testicles or inguinal testicles not palpable when he is awake. We do occasionally see bilateral cryptorchid males. The other way to detect this would be by blood tests. A baseline hormone test is done followed by a stimulation test to detect the presence of testicles. A single testosterone test is unreliable due to the cyclic nature of these hormone levels so a stimulation test is recommended. Good luck with Lucas.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

My 2-year-old dog's testicles are not visible. What should I do?

If you have had Czar since he was a puppy and know that he was not neutered, then he is considered cryptorchid. This is a concern because testicles that are in the abdomen (not in the scrotum like they are supposed to be) are prone to becoming cancerous. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with your vet to discuss neutering him before he develops any problems. I have included more information on cryptorchidism below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2743 I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

How can I tell if my puppy's undescended testicle has dropped?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You should be able to feel the testicles. If you only feel one then the other testicle is still not descended. They should be both down by birth or by 4 months. It just means the vet will have to search for the retained testicle when he gets neutered. He should be neutered because it is a congenital or genetic disease and the testicle can become cancerous over time. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog has an undescended testicle. Will he have health problems later?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This condition is known as cryptorchidism and it is not recommended to breed these dogs due to the potential for passing on this condition to the offspring. The undescended testicle should be removed during the neuter procedure. Once neutered there are no concerns. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog only has one testicle. Is the other one missing or undescended?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why haven't my 6-month-old dog's testicles dropped? Penis always out?

The anatomy appears incorrectly developed. Your pet may be a hermaphrodite. What you see there may actually be female genitalia that has inappropriately developed. In order to truly diagnose what is going on your pet should see a specialist. Abdominal ultrasound can be used to assess for undescended testicles. Surgery is sometimes needed for these dogs, which typically requires a veterinary surgeon. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Should I get an ultrasound for my dog's undescended testicles? Cost?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ultrasound is not routinely used for this purpose. Abdominal ultrasounds would likely cost $300 or more depending on your location. I would advise finding a low-cost spay-neuter clinic in your area. Most of the time, the veterinarians who work at these clinics have extensive experience with cases like this. I would guess that you could get the surgery done for under $200 but again, that depends on where you live. Good luck with Lucas.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My dog's testicle didn't drop. Is surgery needed to remove both?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share