I recently heard of a dog was already under anesthetic to be neutered was determined at the time — he had already been fixed — was wondering if this is a common occurrence.

Wondering what your thoughts were on this and whether or not— how easy is it to determine this beforehand…I have my own opinions but wanted expert advise. Thank you.

Kimberly
Elkart Indiana

One should think that it would be quite easy to determine whether a male dog has been neutered. Neutered dogs lack testicles; non-neutered dogs have them. One could glance under the tail, or perform a gentle palpation–perhaps after getting to know the dog a bit or buying him dinner.

But sometimes it isn’t so easy. A small proportion of intact dogs lack visible testicles. These so-called cryptorchid dogs may have testicles in their abdomens, where they are not visible or palpable.

There are several ways to determine whether an apparently neutered dog might instead be cryptorchid. Surgically opening his abdomen is one of them, but it isn’t how I would start. Surgery is highly invasive. Hormone assays or ultrasound by a seasoned specialist also can give insight into the matter with less pain and morbidity. However, the simplest method (which is not 100% reliable) happens to be simple, non-invasive and free: check for a surgical scar in the appropriate place.