cryptorchid - aka one/both testicles did not descend - que.

[mamarat2]

Friend of mine recently took two rats to my vet to be neutered and it turned out one of the boys had an undescended testicle. Anyone have any experience with this type of thing? The vet only took the one descended testicle and left the other one as it was very much involved with the abdominal region still. She was told to keep an eye on him and it may descend in the upcoming weeks, but this is already a full grown rat so we're thinking it won't descend.

My question is, the vet mentioned that this condition can cause the rat to be more aggressive??? That one is new to me. I know that since there is still a testicle there, there will still be hormones, but have never heard that it causes more aggression than normal. Also to my knowledge (at least in cattle - animal science background) this type of condition renders the male sterile because the testicle is IN the body cavity and the sperm are not in their optimal temp range to live.

Thoughts?? Experiences?

Jen

 

[Vanessa]

I knew someone who had two rat brothers with the same condition. The THS had them listed as two females because nobody could tell that they had the testicles inside their bodies. With these two boys you could definitely see the testicles inside the lower abdomen, probably because rat testicles are so large.
In order to neuter them, the procedure was more like a spay and would cost considerably more because they would have to go into the abdomen.
Neither of those rats were ever aggressive to my knowledge, they were actually very sweet little boys.
I had taken them in to Dr. Luckwadlt to get checked out, and he told me a story about a dog that he had neutered for family for aggression reasons. He did the neuter and sent the dog home. Months later the dog was back in, the owners claimed he was just as aggressive as before and that the neuter did not take. When they did a x-ray or ultrasound of the abdomen, they found a third testicle inside the dogs body. They removed that third testicle, which was causing the dog to remain aggressive, and within a few weeks the aggression was gone.
Maybe that is what the vet meant? That if they are not all removed, then the animal will remain aggressive, and that makes more sense than the animal being more aggressive because the testicles are undescended. I don't see why they would be more aggressive.
The other thing that I have been told about the condition is that there is a higher risk of the animal contracting testicular cancer because they are in their abdomens. You would have to be careful of that.

 

[Moon]

I don't know about the sterility thing. I'm not inclined to think that that is the case, but what do I know (not much about testicles LOL)

The increased aggression... I agree with Vanessa, he probably just didn't articulate what he meant well. That said, if the animal can feel it and it's causing pressure or pain, THEN maybe it could cause agression.

Blue balls probably feel worse in your abdomen LOL!!!

 

[Fidget]

the vet mentioned that this condition can cause the rat to be more aggressive???

Are you getting this from your friend who got it from the vet? Remember the game of passing around a phrase and it gets distorted by the end? Could he have just meant that the rat would be more aggressive than if it had had both removed. rather than more aggressive than a rat who had both descended & removed?

 

[Vanessa]

I can understand that the condition causes infertility, sperm has to be kept at cooler temperatures to be viable. That is why the testicles are outside the body to begin with.
Links to more information on the condition...

Wikipedia

Cryptorchidism: Undescended Testicles

 

[Moon]

Thanks for the links, Vanessa. I always think about sperm needing to be warm, not cool.

 

[Lise]

Cryptorchids have a very high rate of cancer for an unknown reason, which is why it is usually best to get them removed promptly once it is clear they are not going to descend.

I would think the aggression may perhaps be based on an animal like a dog, where the hormones can often lead to dog/dog aggression etc.

Does the vet plan to go in through the abdomen to get the remaining testicle?

 

[mamarat2]

the vet mentioned that this condition can cause the rat to be more aggressive???

Are you getting this from your friend who got it from the vet? Remember the game of passing around a phrase and it gets distorted by the end? Could he have just meant that the rat would be more aggressive than if it had had both removed. rather than more aggressive than a rat who had both descended & removed?

We're really not sure what she meant at this point. My only thought was maybe her point was if the rat was in pain it could be attributed to aggression, but from others who have dealt with this I can't find the accurate info.

And no Fidget, we actually talked about it today, she picked them up from the neuter today and was asking me.

 

[Fidget]

So I guess time will tell what happens...
I hope the little guy (and his brother) heals up well anyway.
So I don't know your name, kiddo, but somebody out in the vast networld sends you :kisses:

 

[Vanessa]

My only thought was maybe her point was if the rat was in pain it could be attributed to aggression, but from others who have dealt with this I can't find the accurate info.

If this helps any.
The two rats that I knew with the condition never seemed to ever be in pain because of it. They never acted aggressively, either hormonally aggressive or pain response aggressive. You could hold them and touch their abdomens, where you could see the testicles were, and they never reacted as if the area was painful or uncomfortable. Neither of them had the testicles removed, and they always remained undescended.
Both lived decently long lives considering that the condition is genetic and they probably had other genetic defects to go along with it.

 

[mamarat2]

Thanks for all of the info! Their names are William and George, George being the one with one testicle still. And their other brother is Edward. Edward was not healthy enough to undergo surgery for the neuter due to other health issues but he is coming along, and William and George were the main aggressive brothers. Both were doing well last night, I actually had to go by and pick up some stuff from her and saw the boys