Testicular torsion is a twisting of the testicle's blood supply, resulting in tremendous pain and swelling. We recently diagnosed a testicular torsion in a dog with a subcutaneous testicle. Literally overnight the testicle had swollen to about the size of a small cantaloupe. Retained testicles are 10 times more likely to become cancerous than normal testicles. Sertoli cell tumors and seminomas are tumors commonly seen in cryptorchid dogs.
Castration is the treatment of choice for cryptorchidism.
Although the presence of an abdominal testicle necessitates surgical opening and exploration of the abdomen, most cryptorchid patients recover from surgery uneventfully. As cryptorchidism is a potentially serious inherited defect, affected dogs should not be used for breeding. Occasionally a veterinarian will be asked about surgically placing a retained testicle into normal position. Performing this surgery, known as orchiopexy, is a violation of veterinary medical ethics and should never be done. If your dog is diagnosed with cryptorchidism, don't fret.