Hemicastration for a suspected spermatic cord torsion in a dog

A 4 year old domestic Black Mouth Cur dog, 32.5 kg, was evaluated for infertility. The dog had sired, with natural mating, 3 litters. Approximately 9 months prior, dog was reportedly febrile (40 - 41 0 C) and had a stiff gait. Leptospirosis was suspected, based upon a pet-side antibody detection test. Veterinary care included subcutaneous fluid therapy and 3 week course of doxycycline. Two months prior to presentation, a bitch to which the dog was mated did not achieve pregnancy and upon subsequent recent semen collection, oligospermia and asthenozoospermia were evident. On initial presentation, at physical examination, dog appeared clinically systemically healthy, but scrotal content was abnormal. The left testis was normal in size and texture, whereas the right testis was firm and enlarged. Both cauda epididymides felt slightly firm and both testes apparently had normal orientation. Scrotal skin was normal. Prostate felt normal on transrectal examination and was nonpainful. On transcutaneous ultrasonographic examination, prostate had normal parenchyma, whereas right testis was abnormal, with mixed echogenicity. Blood flow was evident in both spermatic cords. Inhouse serum Brucella canis rapid slide agglutination test (RSAT) was positive and 2 mercaptoethanol-RSAT was negative, whereas New York State Diagnostic Laboratory agar gel immunodiffusion II and SAT results were negative. Semen had 120 million sperm with asthenozoospermia (< 10% total motile) and teratozoospermia (24% normal). Hemicastration of the right testis was recommended and performed 6 weeks later. Absence of testicular parenchyma (consistent with tissue necrosis) and structurally normal epididymis devoid of sperm were observed on histopathology. Prior spermatic cord torsion as the etiology of initial illness with subsequent complete testicular degeneration was postulated. Approximately 3 months postsurgery, an ejaculate contained 110 million sperm and showed significant improvement (50% progressively motile and 60% morphologically normal sperm). Determination of precise ovulation timing of bitch was recommended for future breeding to maximize chance of pregnancy. Hemicastration and reexamination at appropriate interval in management of unilateral testicular disease are necessary, as demonstrated by this case.

Keywords: Canine, infertility, testicular degeneration, spermatic cord torsion, hemicastration

This manuscript was originally published in the journal Clinical Theriogenology Vol 12(3) Sept 2020.  Clinical Theriogenology is the official journal of the Society for Theriogenology (SFT) and the American College of Theriogenologists (ACT).  This content has been reproduced on the IVIS website with the explicit permission of the SFT/ACT.