Cryptorchidism in dogs and cats: Prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31210/spi2026.29.01.37Keywords:
dogs, cats, cryptorchidism, unilateral, bilateral, orchidectomyAbstract
Cryptorchidism is a spread hereditary pathology of dogs and cats, which is characterized by inability of one or both testicles to hang low into the gate, causes the sterility of males, upsetting the behavior, and increases the risk of developing testicles’ neoplasia and torsion of testicular cord. The purpose of the study was to establish the spreading of cryptorchidism among dogs and cats, improve the pathology diagnostics, and optimize the tactics of surgical treatment of animals suffering from cryptorchidism. The work was conducted in training scientific and production clinic of veterinary medicine at Poltava State Agrarian University. The diagnostics was carried out by the complex method including clinical examination, palpation, ultrasound examination of the inguinal canal and abdominal cavity, and if necessary, determining the concentration of testosterone in the blood serum by the method of immune-enzyme analysis and diagnostic laparotomy. The treatment of animals was conducted by orchidectomy, in particular, with the use of median laparotomy in case of the abdominal form of the pathology. It was found that during 2023–2025, cryptorchidism was registered in 0.65 % (р≤0.05) of all dog diseases and 0.63 % (р≤0.05) among cats with the tendency to the annual growth of the disease indicator. The pathology was more often revealed in young dogs aged from 5 months to 3 years of small-size breeds (Pomeranians – 20 %, toy-terriers, chihuahua and Maltese lap-dogs – 13.3 % in each), and in cats aged about 1 year (British – 26 %, Scottish Fold – 26 %, Scottish Straight – 20 %). Unilateral cryptorchidism (73.3 %) predomonated in dogs with mainly right-side inguinal localization of testicles (46.7 %), while bilateral form was found in 26.6 % of cases. Unilateral form also prevailed over bilateral in cats (73 % and 26.6 %, respectively) with the localization of the left testicle prescrotally (55 %) or in the inguinal canal (36.3 %). The level of testosterone in dogs in case of abdominal form made 2.13 nmol/l, which is lower than the norm, but higher than the indicator in castrated animals. A high diagnostic value of revealing androgen dependent keratinized spinules on the genital organ of cats was proven as a marker of cryptorchidism at the absence of testicles in the gate. Structural changes in the retarded glands were not found at sonographic and microscopic examinations; the cases of neoplasia or torsion of the cord were also not revealed. The practical value of the paper consists in substantiating the algorithm of early diagnostics and timely surgical testectomy of the retarded genital glands to prevent complications dangerous for the life of animals.
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