At Crookwell Vet we see many preventable conditions that need treatment. Pyometra is one of these conditions and can easily be prevented by routine desexing of female dogs at an early age or after they have finished breeding.
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Pyometra is an infection in the uterus and is a serious and life threatening condition that must be treated quickly and aggressively. It is seen in middle-aged to older non-desexed female dogs, two to eight weeks after coming into season.
The cause is a hormonal imbalance resulting in changes to the lining of the uterus and a secondary infection. Pyometra can be open or closed. When the cervix remains open, pus can escape from the uterus. This makes diagnosis easier and the dog is not as critically ill. When the cervix remains closed, the pus builds up in the uterus and cannot escape. It is not uncommon for our vets to remove a pus-filled uterus that weighs over one kilogram.
Symptoms to be aware of include, lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, vaginal discharge, excessive drinking and urination, abdominal enlargement, vomiting and weakness. These result from bacterial endotoxins entering the blood stream and affect the functioning of all body organs. Our vets diagnose pyometra based on these symptoms, a clinical history (not desexed and having had a recent season), blood tests and ultrasound.
Once diagnosed, stabilisation is achieved with intravenous fluids and antibiotics, before surgical removal of the infected uterus is performed. In some cases the pus filled uterus will rupture and cause secondary peritonitis.
As always, prevention is better than cure and this is achieved by desexing. Even if a dog is middle-aged or older, please speak with us about desexing. It is safer to desex than to risk a potentially fatal infection of the uterus.
