Patients presenting for routine castration for population control or behavioral modification will not demonstrate any clinical signs. However, animals with disease processes involving the testicles and/or epididymis may demonstrate clinical signs relating to the underlying disease process.
Patients suffering from cryptorchid testicles may demonstrate an abdominal mass on physical examination, which may cause clinical signs such as
- nausea
- pain
- anorexia
- weight loss
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- hair loss
- mammary gland enlargement
- bone marrow suppression
- sexual attraction by other male dogs
Clinical signs for testicular hypoplasia/atrophy will typically be absent unless there is an unsuppressed action of a cell type within the testicle, which may cause:
- hair loss
- mammary gland enlargement
- male dog attraction
Infection of the testicle and epididymis (orchitis/epididymitis) will typically show signs of:
- testicular pain
- scrotal swelling
- depression
- lethargy
- fever
- anorexia
Testicular trauma may demonstrate signs of:
- scrotal swelling and discoloration
- pain
- hemorrhage
- systemic signs of shock
Tumors of the testicles and epididymis will typically demonstrate:
- enlargement of one or both testicles
- pain
- hair loss
- mammary gland enlargement
- attraction of male dogs
Patients with testicular torsion will show clinical signs of:
- acute pain
- testicular swelling
- depression
Signs associated with perineal hernias consist of:
- swelling adjacent to the rectum
- constipation
- straining to defecate
- straining during urination
Signs associated with urethral calculi include:
- straining to urinate
- difficulty or inability to urinate
- discolored urine
- abdominal pain
- lethargy
- depression
- lack of appetite
Prostatic diseases will typically lead to enlargement of the prostate, which may cause:
- constipation
- straining to defecate
- abdominal pain
- straining to urinate
- discoloration of the urine
Patients with perianal adenomas may show signs of:
- one or more growths surrounding rectal tissue
- bloody stool
- irritation of the rectal area