that the undescended testicle continues to move into toward the It is challenging to prevent cryptorchidism from occurring due to the nature of the illness. After your cat comes home from the operation, limit his activity The cat will first be anesthetized, shaved, and prepped for surgery. Symptoms of inflammation-induced discomfort include eating less, vomiting, tiredness, weakness, hiding, and other deviations from usual behavior. As discussed above, in dogs, crytorchidism is considered hereditary and a dog with this condition should not be used for breeding. Keep your cat indoors until their stitches have been removed or until your veterinarian says it is safe to let them out. The recovery time will be longer than that for a routine neuter, and your vet will likely recommend 2 weeks of reduced activity, especially if the cryptorchid testicle was in the abdomen. When compared to mixed breed cats, purebred cats, particularly Himalayans and Persians, have a higher propensity to develop this condition than mixed breed cats. Second, dogs with a retained testicle are more likely to develop a testicular tumor (cancer) in the retained testicle. 2023 International Veterinary Information Service, All content that was recently added to the IVIS library, There should be two normal testes present in the scrotum of a male to be used for breeding (, ). Blood work may be required, including a testosterone level test and a complete blood count to see if there is any malignancy in the body. It is not possible to extract the undescended testicle into the scrotal sac. Sometimes, the testicle may be located in the subcutaneous tissues (just under the skin) in the groin region, between the inguinal canal and the scrotum. I have a male stray cat. Cryptorchidism is much less common in cats than in dogs. It can be difficult to force them to wear something they dont want to, but keep in mind that it is for their good and the more time they spend with their collar on, the sooner they will recover. The testes develop near the kidneys within the abdomen and normally descend into the scrotum by two months of age. Cats that have been diagnosed with or treated for cryptorchidism should not be crossed with other cats. By A shaved area on one of your cats front legs is most likely where the anesthesia or sedative was delivered, so look for this. Looking for a convenient way to access your pets health records, refill prescriptions, view upcoming appointments and more? If the coughing continues or worsens, get medical attention. Discussing with your veterinarian about your cats pain-management strategy at discharge might help alleviate this fear. At birth,a kittens testicles are located inside the abdomen near the kidneys. The first reason is to remove the genetic defect from the breed line. Canine cryptorchidism is the term used to define a medical condition seen in dogs (very rare in cats) in which one or both testicles are retained in the abdomen instead of descending in the scrotal sac. Neutering and removal of the retained testicle(s) are recommended. 1 In dogs, incidence ranges from 1% to 15% depending on the distribution of breeds in the study region. Normally he's wide awake and demanding breakfast this time of morning, instead he's awake . PS: He also poos with his front legs elevated. Last but not least, make sure your cat returns to the veterinarian for their scheduled check-up appointment, or even sooner if the bandage is loose or something appears to be wrong. What is the best course of action to neuter my cat. If the cat is a unilateral cryptorchid, both testicles should be surgically removed. An incision will be made and the testicle will be removed. The owners of such animals often inquire "how long should I wait before giving up that the undesecended testis is going to come down?" 4). to purchase an "Elizabethan" collar if your cat will not leave the area Figure 1. These results suggested that the timing of surgery is a significant factor for recovery of delayed cryptorchid testicular growth. There were not able to find one of his testicles. When a male cat is born, When only one testicle can be palpated in the scrotum and the other testicle cannot be located, the retained testicle is assumed to be abdominal. There is no way to prevent instances of cryptorchidism. Retained testicles are rarely associated with pain or any other sign of disease. Once a cat is neutered, the barbs disappear. It can occur in all breeds but may be slightly increased in Persians. The surgery is relatively routine, and the results are overwhelmingly favorable. Neutering is recommended to prevent future problems. one testicle only), as they will pass it along. Although this genetic disorder may seem unimportant, it is actually a big deal. Mild irritation and a slight cough may occur on occasion as a result of this. After most surgical procedures, your cat needs almost one week to recover. cat is still young to avoid complications in the future. The prognosis is excellent for dogs that undergo surgery early before problems develop in the retained testicle. 1 Most patients with cryptorchidism do not show signs of illness unless testicular neoplasia or torsion have developed. The precise location of the testicle (s) can often be determined using ultrasound, but sometimes it is only during surgery that it is actually located. There are several good reasons for neutering a dog with cryptorchidism. to the small testis adjacent to the pubic symphysis. If a cat has already produced a litter of kittens in which any of the kittens presented cryptorchidism or other birth defects, the cat should not be bred again in the future. In most cases of cryptorchidism, the testicle is retained in the abdomen or in the inguinal canal (the passage through the abdominal wall into the genital region through which a testicle normally descends). Symptoms to watch for include: While the exact reason that some cats fail to have their testicles descend is unknown, the condition does seem to affect purebred cats exponentially more than mixed-breed house cats. Log in 24/7 to access your pets health care information. Your cats activity level will most likely need to be restricted for at least one to two weeks, or until the sutures are removed, in most situations (if the sutures are to be removed). With the cat under general anesthesia, a midline laparotomy was performed. In cases of abdominal cryptorchidism, the testicle cannot be felt from the outside. Over the next few months, the testes descend down to the groin and out into the scrotal sac. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There is no procedure to bring the testis down into the scrotum. The key for finding the retained testis is to identify and follow the ductus deferensleading to the testis. Wet bandages can cause more damage to the wound beneath them and cause your cats recovery to be delayed, so dont let them out until theyve recovered completely. . Romagnoli SE. alone. There are lots of decisions to make before allowing a cat to own you! Copyright 2021 | All Rights Reserved | cat vet info. This will prevent further complications and will ensure that the cat will not pass on this genetic defect to any kittens. Cryptorchidism is a medical term referring to the incomplete or nonexistent descent of the testicles in a male cat. Unilateral cryptorchidism occurs more commonly than the bilateral condition. Within a few weeks after the surgery, improvement in cats behavior (urine spraying, loud vocalization, and aggressiveness) was reported by the owner. AJ Debiasse, a technician in Stroudsburg, PA, contributed to this article.Feline cryptorchidism, also called undescended testicle or retained testicle, is a condition where one or both of the testicles stay in the belly, instead of being in the scrotum or sac. Any male cat at least 4 months old that has one or both testicles missing from their final scrotal position, is considered to be cryptorchid. testicle to descend into the scrotum. Cats will need to wear an Elizabethan cone during surgery to prevent irritation of the surgical site. the most common cryptorchid condition, occurs when one testicle has Testicular descent is complete by about day 10 after birth in normal dogs [1]. This is caused by blood seepage under the skins borders and is an entirely natural occurrence. He has two incision sites with stitches. The cost of abdominal cryptorchid orchiectomy will vary depending on the patients style of living and any additional expenses incurred, but it is generally between $300 and $1,000 in most cases. X-rays or ultrasound imaging will be needed to locate and assess the retained testis. The procedure, known as abdominal cryptorchid orchiectomy, is curative of the disorder and is associated with few postoperative problems. The recovery time will be longer than that for a routine neuter, and your vet will likely recommend 2 weeks of reduced activity, especially if the cryptorchid testicle was in the abdomen. As discussed above, in dogs, crytorchidism is considered hereditary and a dog with this condition should not be used for breeding. He developed male behavior and another laparotomy was performed 1 year later; however, the left testis again could not be located. Would you like to add this to your library? The word is based on the Greek words kryptos meaning hidden and orchis meaning testicle. In its early stages, a single retained testicle is significantly smaller than the other, normal testicle. If both testicles are retained, a cat will likely be infertile. If both testicles are in the inguinal canal, there will also be two incisions. If your veterinarian provides you with additional advice, such as keeping your cat in a cage following orthopedic surgery, follow their directions to the letter in all circumstances. Penis of a normal cat showing penile spines. You can visit his website at. This subreddit is a great starting point for a lot of information, but you should always verify and expand upon what you've read before putting it to use in your daily life. If the remaining testicle is left in place, there is a chance that the cat can develop testicular cancer later in life as a result of the condition. The most common signs of cryptorchidism are male marking behavior (spraying), male cat-associated odors, and aggression. Krista Williams, BSc, DVM, CCRP; Ryan Llera, BSc, DVM; Robin Downing, DVM, CVPP, CCRP, DAAPM, Ernest Ward, DVM. Our founding mission has always been to provide spay/neuter services to the under-served. to extract. scrotum.