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Really large puppy? Cryptorchid, also. Neutering questions.


ljcygnet
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Hi!

 

I'm new. :-)

 

I have a 3 1/2 month old BC/Mcnabb cross (3/4 border collie) who looks like he's going to be a really BIG dog. He's 26 pounds and growing so fast I swear he gains a half inch in height every time I look away. He's really solid, too, with tons of bone -- he's going to be built like a tank when adult.

 

Age is correct. No adult teeth yet, and I've had him since he was two months and he was very obviously a (large) baby then.

 

Working lines. Both parents are working dogs from a ranch.

 

I have no reason to believe he's not as described as far as the breeding goes -- he moves, acts, and looks like a smooth coated border collie, albeit one with floppy ears and a big nose. When he's got his eye on something, he's all border collie, even this young. He's also incredibly smart in almost spooky ways. (And I've had several stock dogs, including a BC/aussie and an aussie/heeler mix.) Willing and eager to please. Should be a good dog.

 

He's bilateral cryptorchid. I expect I'll be paying for a "spay" rather than a "neuter" and had planned to do it in the fall, for reasons. I've noticed some unusually early boy-behavior (marking where other dogs have gone, mostly) which I expect is due to WAY TOO MUCH testosterone due to being cryptorchid.

 

Could an excess of testosterone be causing his large size? Anyone know any studies on this or hard data?

 

I'm tempted to neuter him super early anyway (maybe even before fall, rather, in the next few months), because of the cancer risk and his behavior.

 

On the other hand, if the cause of his growth rate is NOT excess testosterone, I know neutering him early may encourage even more growth than he would have because neutered males get taller than intact ones, right? From a performance aspect, I'm worried about him growing too big.

 

(Normally, I like to leave dogs intact until they're completely done growing and the growth plates are closed, but meh, it's six of one, half dozen of another on this guy.)

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I wouldn't be too worried yet, if he hasn't dropped by 8 or 9 months I'd look at a neuter. If it were me I might consider pulling the retained testicle but leaving the other. Does anybody know if being cryptorchid can cause excess testosterone? I haven't heard of it. One of my boys (with both testicles descended) was leg lifting at 3 months too.

 

26 lbs. at 3.5 months isn't crazy! My 46 lb. boy was 21 lbs. at 16 weeks, and my other one was about the same, although he'll be about 53-55 full grown. 26 lbs. is big, but not unheard of at all. Just make sure he's a lean 26 lbs.!

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I actually just did some reading and it looks like I was operating under an incorrect assumption about retained testicles. I'd always been told that horses with this issue had MORE testosterone than a normal stallion (which is why they are such a PITA to deal with) and this is apparently not true; they have less. I'd also assumed that would carry over to dogs, so I had my facts wrong all around.

 

You know what they say about assuming? Yep.

 

Vet seems to think he won't drop if he hasn't by now. If he does, and the vet's wrong, I'll be elated. Cheaper and less involved neuter. :-) He's getting fixed eventually, either way, but I'd prefer to wait until his growth plates close.

 

No issues with weight. If anything, he's a bit underweight, but every time he starts to fill out he gains another vertical inch and you can see his ribs again.

 

I'm not averse to a bigger dog, just a bit surprised by the size.

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I've had two crypthorchids and didn't notice any behavior I could attribute to excess testosterone, and, frankly, whether the testicles are inside or outside the body shouldn't affect the amount of testosterone; rather, it could affect the viability of the sperm.

 

I had both of mine neutered after they turned 2. There were no adverse effects related to waiting. In fact, if testicular cancer is the biggest concern, I'd think (not going to go search for facts to support that) that would be a risk that increases over time and unlikely to affect a young dog, at least not by 2 years of age.

 

Like you, I'd be concerned that an early neuter would serve only to make him taller.

 

J.

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