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

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.

If the testicle is just under the skin on his belly he could have an undescended testicle. In puppies this can sometimes correct with age, but if he is 6 months or older it likely won’t drop anymore. The vet can surgically remove the testicle during a neuter surgery.

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 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.

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.

If the testicle hasn't dropped by 6 months old, it is unlikely to do so. Leo will need to be neutered and have that testicle removed or else it can turn into a cancer. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!