A cryptorchid dog has what increased health risk compared with fully descended testicles?

• A. It does not affect cancer risk
• B. It improves fertility
• C. It increases the risk of testicular cancer
• D. It eliminates cancer risk

Answer: (C)

Having an undescended testicle places it in a warmer environment (abdomen or inguinal canal) where normal testicular development is disrupted. This increases the likelihood that a tumor will develop in that testicle. In dogs, cryptorchidism markedly raises the risk of testicular cancer in the retained testis compared with fully descended testes. It does not improve fertility, it does not remove cancer risk, and it certainly does not have no effect on cancer risk. So the health risk that is increased is the risk of testicular cancer.