From: Terri
Dear Jessica, I anxiously check my emails for your newsletter. Thank you so much for loving and caring about horses enough to help all of us.
I have just spent the last few hours in your archives reading about the "why's" and "when's" to geld my colt. I have a question, however, that I did not find the exact answer to. I have a 7 mo. old colt that I have every intention of gelding, and wanted to do as soon as possible, however, he has not dropped either testicle as of yet. I have read that many things can contribute to them looking dropped one day and not the next, however, I have never seen my colt dropped. My question is how long is a reasonable time to wait before I start being concerned regarding this? Also, does genetics have any part in this being a possible problem for this colt? Thank you for your time and consideration. Terri
A colt's testicles are often present at birth. When they aren't, they usually appear by the time the colt is ten days old (this, by the way, is a good time to geld the colt). The testicles tend to ascend again after this, not descending again until the colt is somewhere bettween two and five months old - or older. After this, they may ascend and descend seemingly at random: on some days, you'll see two, on some days, you'll find just one, on some days, you'll find none at all. This can be very frustrating if you're trying to schedule the vet - "Hello, Doc, can you please come today, the testicles are here again?" quickly followed by "Hello, Doc, sorry, they're gone, we'll need to reschedule", and then by "Hello Doc, they're back! Whoops, no they aren't!", and so on.
Talk with your vet about this. Some vets begin worrying if a colt hasn't got both testicles fully descended before it's twelve months old. Other vets don't begin to worry until the colt is eighteen months old, or two years old.... I know several vets who tell owners that there's still a hope that the second testicle (or both of them) will drop by the time the colt turns THREE - and if your colt happens to be a pony, the "window of opportunity" may be even larger. So NO, if I were you, I would not begin to worry just yet, or indeed any time soon. ;-)
The testicles develop high in the unborn foal's abdomen, just behind the kidneys. In order for the testicles to enter the scrotum, they must move downward. During the last months of the mare's pregnancy, the testicles of the foetus migrate through its abdomen, then leave the abdominal cavity by way of a duct or passage called the inguinal canal, passing through the inguinal canal and, finally dropping into the scrotum.
That's why a colt's testicles will usually be in the scrotum at birth. If they aren't, they'll typically appear by time he is two weeks old. However, there are plenty of exceptions. It is not unusual for one or both testicles to put off making an appearance for much longer. Some colts' testicles aren't fully descended until they are ten, eleven, or twelve months old. Occasionally, a colt's testicles are not completely descended until the colt is two years old - and in some ponies, the process isn't completed until the colt is three years old or even older.
Cyrptorchidism (retained testicles) occurs when a foal's testicles fail to drop into the scrotum. This happens when one (or both) testicles stops descending, somewhere during the process - leaving it (or them) either in the colt's abdomen, just above the opening to the inguinal canal, or stuck inside the canal itself. Depending on where it stops, the diagnosis would be abdominal or inguinal cryptorchidism. Either way, you shouldn't be too quick to decide that your colt has a problem. In fact, you shouldn't decide this yourself, full stop.
No matter what other horse-owners may tell you from THEIR experience, trust your vet to diagnose your colt. If and when your vet determines that your colt is a cryptorchid, and if and when he decides that there's no point in waiting any longer for nature to take its course, he'll talk to you about the various diagnostic and surgical options available. Surgery is always serious, and never inexpensive, but your colt is better off now than he would have been even ten or fifteen years ago. Surgery today is faster, easier, and presents more options than ever before.
The "worst case" scenario would involve a definite diagnosis of cryptorchidism and the need for surgery to remove the undescended testicle or testicles. But the worst case is not as difficult or as frightening as it once was, although it's still costly. Now that equine veterinarians can use laparoscopy for diagnosis (using a tiny fiber-optic video camera) AND to perform the procedure (using the same camera and tiny surgical instruments), the surgery can be performed through a very small incision instead of the large incision traditionally required for conventional abdominal surgery. With a small incision, there is much less pain for the horse, much less worry about the integrity of the horse's healing abdomen, much less chance of adhesions developing - and the horse will not need to have its exercise restricted as much or for as long. Some surgeons will even perform laparoscopic surgery with the horse standing (under local anaesthetic).
You'll find out eventually whether your colt will require surgery to locate and remove a "missing" testicle. While you wait, there IS something you can do in the meantime.
Accustom your colt to remaining relaxed whilst being handled everywhere. If your colt is relaxed even when his scrotum is being handled, you and your vet will get a much more accurate picture of what is actually going on. It's entirely possible for a colt to have both testicles dropped UNTIL some human begins exploring the area, at which point a nervous or frightened colt may kick - whilst simultaneously retracting its testicles. Young colts can retract their testicles VERY quickly, and even a reasonably calm and confident colt is likely to do so if it is surprised by a sudden grab - or by someone's cold hands. If your colt's testicles descend, but he carries them high and retracts them when he's nervous, you may never see them.
"Here's the scrotum...where are the testicles?" is not like "Here's the picture...where's Waldo?" Waldo is always in the picture somewhere, although he can be difficult to locate. But when you're dealing with a young colt, especially if he is nervous, or if your hands are cold, or if the weather is cold, his testicles may no longer be there, even if you KNOW that both of them were right there in his scrotum five minutes ago. ;-) This kind of "disappearance" isn't cause for concern, but it can be misleading to owners and to veterinarians. The more relaxed your colt can remain, the better.
As for the genetics question, I just don't know the answer. Cryptorchidism in stallions, like twinning in mares, is a highly undesirable trait. Behaviour problems, an increased possibility of disease, and a more difficult and expensive gelding procedure are all typical effects of the condition - and any ONE of them would be enough to convince most breeders that cryptorchidism is not a trait that should be perpetuated. However, nobody has, as far as I know, managed to prove either that it IS or IS NOT heritable, so the point is probably moot. In principle, it's probably safest to avoid breeding to stallions that have produced a number of cryptorchid foals.
Jessica
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