Whether or not a wether?

[nbelval]

I have a six month old male that is very "Bucky" to me. He has always been a bit shaggier and courser than our other two wethers. He has grown a beard and despite the breeder dehorning him twice and me trimming any new growth is growing horns with a blood supply in them. They are wobbly though so I don't know if he will end up knocking them off at some point.
Recently he has begun spraying urine on his front legs and a bit on his face.
When I got him the breeder told me he had an undescended testicle, but the vet had surgically removed it.
There are no visible testicles. He was castrated at approximately 8 weeks.
Wanted to know what you experienced goat people think about this and if I should make an appointment with a vet to see if there is still a retained testicle or piece that is causing his hormonal actions.
Thanks so much!

Nicole

 

[AshleyFishy]

if I should make an appointment with a vet to see if there is still a retained testicle or piece that is causing his hormonal actions.
Thanks so much!

Nicole

Yup. I would.

 

[nbelval]

Ok. So I'm not crazy for thinking that the breeder didn't get the undescended one?

 

[nbelval]

Great. Just explained everything to my hubby and he doesn't want to spend the money having surgery on our goat.
So...if our boy becomes too obnoxious and I can get my husband to agree at a later date will the urine spraying stop after another neutering or will it continue after castration?

 

[SheepGirl]

I would think that if the vet surgically removed one retained testicle they would have made sure the other one came out, too. No vet worth their salt would intentionally leave an animal a cryptorchid.

 

[Rocco]

If a vet did the original work, as stated, than the wether should be a true wether. Hopefully someone that makes it through vet school can add to two!!!

I vote with your hubby. Wait and see. Something could be done later if necessary.

Is the guy acting "bucky" because of does in heat, or just acting that way? If does are in the area....try dabbing a little Vicks Vapor Rub onto his nose/nostrils so he can't smell them. It doesn't hurt them. We have a buck that went into rut a little too soon for our breeding program, and this technique was related to me by a guy that shows bucks. Our buck didn't fight it at all, actually seemed pleased with it. You would need to apply the Vicks a couple of times a day for as long as the does are in heat.

 

[nbelval]

No females - just two other wethers. Who are definitely wethers
No beards, spraying or "blubbering" from them. He's not obnoxious by any means, just ocassionally does those "Bucky" things.

 

[treeclimber233]

I know someone that had a male cat in the house. They had him neutered. Later they added a second cat (female) and since he was neutered they did not get her spayed. She was never allowed outside and later had a litter of kittens. That is when they discovered the vet could not count to two. And his parts were on the outside. The vet may have missed part of your guys testicle. I wonder if since he "messed up" in the first place if he would finish the operation for free or at least at a discount.

 

[nbelval]

It's almost a 3 hour drive to bring him back to the original vet and I don't want to put my guy through surgery plus 6 hrs traveling.
I feel so bad for him. He had to be dehorned twice and that still wasn't successful, the tips of his ears had been chewed off, plus his testicle issue. He had such a rough start compared to our other two.

 

[WannaBeFarmR]

Maybe the breeder meant that the vet did the castrating at their farm and couldn't get at the other testicle for some reason? I could picture a vet telling someone while out on the job that the other testicle would need to be removed at the vets office but that there was a possibility it would not descend and with the one removed he may be sterile and it would not cause problems? Perhaps the former owner assumed that it wouldn't be an issue? I think people sometimes only hear the cheap or cost free option when talking to a vet, the vet could have said 90% chance it needs to be surgically removed and 10% chance it won't be an issue and the former owner may have thought 10%? that's good enough for me. Not saying that's what happened... but its equally possible that it was the former owner as it was the vet, unless you really know and trust the person you got the goats from?