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I have been sponsoring Smokey's care for the majority of his time at Mounted Ministries. It has been my goal to adopt, geld, and board at a facility designed for such. Before Smokey can be adopted he must undergo a procedure called "gelding." This procedure is particularly difficult and costly in his case because he is a "cryptorchid." After talking to multiple equine veternarians I have been quoted a range of $1000 to $1500. Without this surgery the adoption of Smokey is not an option. The facility he was donated to is not designed to care for stallions, and there are virtually zero facilities that will because of the liability that follows caring for a testosterone fueled male. Time is running out! If the surgery does not take place in a timely manner the organization will be forced to advertise to the public for a quick sale, and I will lose my best friend.
Smokey was donated and currently in the care of a non-profit organization which is not designed to care for stallions, and as a result he is kept alone, secluded on different property, and away from all the other horses.
For anyone unfamiliar with cryptorchids here are some facts from the American Quarter Horse Journal:
Fact:
"A retained testicle can cause
cancer. While cancerous growths in a retained testicle are rare,
they’re not unheard of. Increased temperature is often associated with
the growth of tumors. Because the testicle is retained inside the
body, it is exposed to higher temperatures, thereby increasing the
risk of cancer."
Fact:
"Cryptorchids can be more difficult
to castrate. While removing an undescended testicle is always a
surgical procedure that can’t simply be done on the farm, it’s not as
difficult as it used to be. With the development of laparoscopic
procedures, a rigid arthroscope (a camera) is inserted through a
standing horse’s flank. Another hole is pierced for the instruments.
The veterinarian can see what the camera sees through a monitor, and
the horse has a much smaller incision on the flank to heal instead of
a wound in his belly."
Fact:
"Cryptorchids are more aggressive
than geldings. Whether retained or descended, testicles produce
testosterone. Normal stallions and cryptorchid stallions produce the
same amount of testosterone. Cryptorchid stallions that haven’t been
castrated will continue to show the same aggressiveness as a full stallion."
Thank you for taking your time to involve yourself with Smokey, and I thank you in advance for any and all donations given to help improve the well-being of my precious friend. I look forward to keeping you updated with Smokey's progress, and all the fun activities he will be able to participate in once he is given the opportunity.
- Starkey, Larri Jo. "Horse Breeding: Cryptorchid Facts." Amerian Quarter Horse Journal, 3 July 2009. Web. 23 September 2013.
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