Retained Testicle

[alayanna]

Hello! I was wondering if anyone has had a Savannah kitten with a retained testicle. I have two male kittens that are about 4 1/2 months old. The vet informed me when they were 4 months old that one of them has a retained testicle and that the chances were extremely slim that it would fall into place on its own.

When he was about 3 months old, he got really sick and I though it was because he ate something that he wasn't supposed to. I took him to the emergency vet and they said it looked like he had gas build-up. The other day, he seemed to be gasping for breath, but quickly recovered. Do you think this has something to do with his retained testicle?

 

[Patti]

A retained testicle can occur in any breed. Sometimes it will drop eventually but if not he will need surgery to locate and remove it. I don't think it has anything to do with his episode of gasping for air, but those are concerning symptoms even if the episode was brief. If it recurs I would think about having him checked out by the vet.

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[Brigitte Cowell]

Agreed with Patti, I don't think the gasping for air is related to the retained testicle. The testicle may drop by 7 months of age... otherwise will need more invasive surgery to neuter.

I agree that I would have the gasping for breath thing checked out, that is bothersome.

 

[alayanna]

Thank you. I have a call into the vet. I just have a strong feeling that the issues that he has been experiencing are all connected to the retained testicle. I feel like maybe the gasping for air was because he was in pain, which I know isn't common, but as I am researching more and more, I feel like there is a possibility that his retained testicle is causing him a bit of pain.

This was from PetMD:
"This condition is rarely associated with pain or any other sign of disease. However, acute onset of abdominal pain generally indicates that the spermatic cord of the retained testes has become twisted, cutting off the blood supply to the testis. Many times, this testis will develop tumors, which is symptomized by feminine behavior."

 

[dice]

my boy Sampson suffered from retained testies, and required the extra buck fifty to be neutered. He actually became more sexual after the surgery.

think it caused Sam more frustration than pain, to tell the truth. But it cold be a contributing factor. Would get him altered asap, and let the vet know about your concerns.

 

[alayanna]

The vet that discovered his retained testicle said that she wanted to wait until he was around 6 months old to get the surgery, but I agree with you....I think he should get altered asap. I am waiting for the head vet to call me back.

Is that a picture of your kittens?? If so, are they litter mates? My two are brothers and Milo (the one with the retained testicle) is quite a bit smaller than his brother and I was wondering if you experienced the same thing with Sampson.

 

[dice]

Yes, me avatar is a pic of the first litter of kittens produced from Amara's Painted Lady. They are F2 Twins, Rufio and TinkerBell.!!

Sampson is my 5 year old F3, who weighs ~19 lbs. He is an black on black Savannah.

He is my Buddy Boy.!!!

 

[alayanna]

Awwww...they are all so cute!!!! How old was Sampson when he got neutered? I just spoke to my vet and he didn't seem concerned at all with the shortness of breath and said that he wanted to wait until he was closer to 7 or 8 months to do the surgery so the testicle would be easier to find.

 

[dice]

Sam was, well, much older than 7-8 months old when he was adjusted.

My main concern is not waiting to long to get your boy altered. Wait to long and the hormones will kick in and you will have to always deal with spraying and marking of territory that the boy will exhibit if you wait too long.

Fortunatley my wife Teri deals with that issue now, so I don't have too.!!!! 7 months may be pushing the hormonal equation, a bit, but best follow the vet's comfort zone, fur sure. Neutering impacted balls apparently takes a more deft and skilled hand, so would follow the Vet's recommendations, besides, what's a little extra concentrated urine between Savannah Servants???

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Thank you. I have a call into the vet. I just have a strong feeling that the issues that he has been experiencing are all connected to the retained testicle. I feel like maybe the gasping for air was because he was in pain, which I know isn't common, but as I am researching more and more, I feel like there is a possibility that his retained testicle is causing him a bit of pain.

This was from PetMD:
"This condition is rarely associated with pain or any other sign of disease. However, acute onset of abdominal pain generally indicates that the spermatic cord of the retained testes has become twisted, cutting off the blood supply to the testis. Many times, this testis will develop tumors, which is symptomized by feminine behavior."

If you are convinced something like a twisted spermatic cord is causing your kitten pain, I wonder if an abdominal ultrasound will allow your vet to rule that out. And if it is all good, then you can wait out the 7 months?