01/07/2026
Pet of the Month - Ferdi
Ferdi first came to us at Avalon in June 25 as a young puppy. It was noted at his puppy check that one of his testicles had failed to descend. Unfortunately, even given time, this testicle did not descend into the usual position, and remained inside Ferdi’s abdomen.
On 19th May 2026, Ferdi came to see vet Fran as an emergency as he really wasn’t himself and wasn’t willing to walk. Being a Dachshund we were all worried it could be a spinal problem, however, when Fran examined Ferdi his pain seemed to be inside his tummy. We then wondered if he could have eaten something he shouldn’t.
After some x-rays, Fran and the owner decided that the best way forward was to take Ferdi to surgery. Fran found that Ferdi’s retained testicle had become twisted, cutting off it’s blood supply and causing Ferdi’s severe pain.
Fran was able to carefully remove Ferdi’s retained testicle. Ferdi had a bit of an uncomfortable recovery, but thankfully is now back to his normal self again.
Testicular torsion, as seen in Ferdi, is an uncommon condition, but a good reason to recommend neutering, especially in dogs with retained testicles, as the incidence is higher if the testicle is retained. There is also an increased risk of testicular cancer with a retained testicle.
Times have changed, and we don’t always recommend neutering of dogs at a young age. Talk to your vet about whether or not to neuter your pet, and if so, when it is best to do so. Your vet can help guide you to make the best decision for your pet, based on current evidence.
