Hermaphrodite staffie

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 10:01:33 GMT

[quote user="mariette asselbergs"]Wow, you deserve the price for supreme professionalism: Found two retained testicles and checked the whole abdomen in case there was a 3rd one?[/quote]Didn't happen quite like that. Dog was castrated and two abdominally testicles removed. The dog developed a prostatic cyst which was surgically treated then sometime later grew an abdominal mass which I though would be a prostatic tumour but wasn't when we got in. It was removed and histology came back as a normal testicle!! I requested the lab repeated the histology and they confirmed their findings. If I hadn't been the surgeon all the way through this I would have been convinced that someone had left one ball behind the first time but I am 100% certain I took two out then and it was noted in clinical records that I had. Stranger than fiction.

PS shameless plug: the full story is in my book.

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Tim Charlesworth — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 17:41:29 GMT

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't insist on histo but it would (hopefully) complete the picture. If the ovaries looked grossly abnormal you could either stop there and just say that there is "something odd going on, probably intersex etc etc" or you could pursue a histological diagnosis to be certain. Equally, there might be implications if the ovaries looked and were completely normal (ie possible androgenisation from another source eg adrenals etc although admittedly this would be v unlikely in such a young dog).

Histo would not be a purely academic exercise hence the original comments,

Tim

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

mariette asselbergs — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 17:18:44 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

Not seen a hermaphrodite dog but did see a tortoishell male cat once. However, I have seen a dog with three normal testicles, all retained, confirmed on histology.

[/quote]

Wow, you deserve the price for supreme professionalism: Found two retained testicles and checked the whole abdomen in case there was a 3rd one?

Mariette

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 09:57:29 GMT

Not seen a hermaphrodite dog but did see a tortoishell male cat once. However, I have seen a dog with three normal testicles, all retained, confirmed on histology.

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 23:41:29 GMT

[quote user="Tim Charlesworth"]It would give you the diagnosis![/quote]

I didn't think the diagnosis was in question?

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Tim Charlesworth — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 15:26:49 GMT

Thanks very much, will give you an acknowledgement if I use them!

Tim

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Henry L'Eplattenier — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 14:07:13 GMT

Tim (and anybody else interested),

I have some intraoperative pictures of the removal of the clitoris bone. They are too large and there are too many photos to post here, they are in this dropbox folder:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hnqost8rn7dtbuk/AACNzbGJgw_pKdV_5UzaWX05a?dl=0

The vulva was located more ventrally than in a normal bitch so it could be included in the same surgical field as the gonadectomy. The bone was protruding quite a lot and causing problems (discomfort sitting etc.) The urethra was catheterised so that it could be preserved and the bone was "peeled" out of the mucosa using monopolar electrocautery. The bone was either removed completely or cut with bone cutters near its base (I can't remember). The remaining mucosa can be trimmed if there is excessive soft tissue, then stitched.

Tim, I am happy for you to use these for your article if you have any use for them.

Let me know if the link does not work.

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Clive Ansell — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:36:19 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

[quote user="Tim Charlesworth"](ideally) gonads sent for histopath[/quote]

Why? What could it possibly add to the management of the case?

If I do things for my sole interest then I cover the cost myself.

[/quote]

Why not incorporate the cost of histology in to the surgery, or give the client the option? just for completeness chromosome analysis would be interesting too to determine whether a true hermaphrodite or a pseudo hermaphrodite.

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Tim Charlesworth — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:10:12 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

[quote user="Tim Charlesworth"](ideally) gonads sent for histopath[/quote]

Why? What could it possibly add to the management of the case?

If I do things for my sole interest then I cover the cost myself.

[/quote]

It would give you the diagnosis!

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 02:00:30 GMT

[quote user="Tim Charlesworth"](ideally) gonads sent for histopath[/quote]

Why? What could it possibly add to the management of the case?

If I do things for my sole interest then I cover the cost myself.

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Tim Charlesworth — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 12:00:34 GMT

What you describe is a "pseudophallus" and an intersex condition of some sort (presuming that exogenous androgens haven't been administered) seems likely. Either way, the dog should be gonadectomised and (ideally) gonads sent for histopath. The pseudophallus can be left alone but if it protrudes from the vulva, it may become inflamed/painful in which case reconstruction (clitoral resection but preserving urethra - can be fiddly!) would be recommended. If the dog is fine with it, it can be left alone (but still gonadectomise him/her).

I'm putting together an article on vulval conditions so would be very grateful if you could get a photo and send it to me/attach to the platform?

Interesting case!

Tim

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 11:39:30 GMT

Depending on the appearence of the uterus, I'd either spay, or do gomadectomies. If gonads are left, not only could testicular tissue become neoplastic, but attempts at mating could be painful.

Wynne

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Stephen Courtney — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 19:58:15 GMT

The internal gonads are likely to be 'odd' e.g. ovotestes , or one ovary and one testis inside the dog. it is best to 'spay' the animal but leave the external genitalia alone.

I look after a cocker spaniel with this condition - she has what looks like a small penis protruding from a low slung vulva, in almost the right place for the base of the penis. she had one ovary and one testicle when she was 'spayed' - the retained testicle may well have become neoplastic over time, and the ovary would have produced oestrogen and 'heats' therefore the dog would have been sexually attractive to mae dogs with the associated behavioural consequences, albeit no opportunity to get pregnant.

I queried what to do with a specialist and was told to spay as normal. which is what we did, except the op was done by a very experienced soft tissue surgeon in case of weird anatomy!

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Sammy82 — Sun, 08 Mar 2015 19:43:40 GMT

Why no just let him/her be if there are no clinical problems? Unwanted breeding is obviously not possible anyway.

Re: Hermaphrodite staffie

Lindsey Edwards — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 21:53:12 GMT

If no urinary tract symptoms noted previously (stranguria/incontinence etc) then I'd go ahead and 'de-sex' without any further investigations, hoping for reductions of whatever secondary sex organs might be developing...they're not going to be any use to 'her' anyway as she's never going to be a breeding candidate. I'd steer well clear of any amputation of anything that is not causing functional problems.

Would be interesting to see what they resemble visually also - recently spayed a german shepherd x with what looking initially like an infantile vulva but on palpation (post-surgery) had development of significant structure around urethral orrifice - removed one ovary and one organ which most closely resembled a cryptorchid testis - advised owners of same in case anything strange developed in future, funds tight regarding investigations and owners happy to mind their extra-special pet rather than worry about what might have been.