Northway Animal Emergency Clinic Blog: 2012

So when someone walks into an animal emergency room with a sick and lethargic dog or cat, and the owners’ mention she is not spayed, why do we cringe? Is it because we are super hard-core spay/neuter proponents? Well yes, but not for the reason you are probably thinking. We are more concerned that we have a 4-year-old female that is brewing a horrible and fatal infection in her uterus. It is a called a pyometra, and this is a true emergency!

A pyometra literally means “pus filled uterus”, nasty right? The way animals are built, they are more predisposed to this condition, but it seems most common in dogs. Because animals walk on all fours and cannot properly drain any infection, it just stays in the uterus. That is why humans don’t typically have this issue. Experts still don’t know why some animals suffer from a pyo, and some go their whole life without. There are some theories that the normal cycle of progesterone leaves the uterine lining susceptible to infection (acvs.org). E.coli seems to be the most common bacteria found in these infections, so ascending infections from the vagina or anus might be the culprit (acvs.org).

(Veterinarypartner.com)

Antibiotics due not typically work to fix the problem, and surgery really is the best option. If it goes untreated the animal can become extremely sick, and the uterus make even perforate causing septic peritonitis. If this happens, all the infection contained in the uterus spreads throughout the body, and the prognosis is grim.

If you do decide not to spay your female, then are some things you should be aware of:

These infections are most common in dogs 4 years old and up, but can happen at any age.

Keep a record of your females heat cycle, since they tend to happen in dogs 4-8

wks after estrus, and in cats 1-4 wks (acvs.org).

Symptoms include (acvs.org):

· Lethargy

· Depression

· Anorexia

· Excessive water intake

· Excessive urination

· Pale gums

· Vomiting and diarrhea

· Weight loss

· Enlarged abdomen

· Subnormal temperature (Normal is 100-102.5°F)

· Inflamed eyes

· A small percent may only have discharge from the vulva and no other symptoms. Some don’t have any discharge (called a closed pyo).

If you see any of these symptoms take your pet to a vet immediately! Ignoring these

symptoms can cause kidney damage, sepsis, and death.

If your pet does need surgery, and you catch it early, most patients do very well. They usually need to be hospitalized for at least 24 hours to start treating infection, pain management, normalize hydration status, and to watch for any further complications. Aftercare is usually the same if you have your pet spayed; avoiding extreme activity for 2 weeks, antibiotics and pain management.

So that is why we REALLY want you to spay your females if you are not a breeder, or after you have retired your female. We don’t want to see your precious little girl suffer a more extreme surgery, than a simple spay.

I chose to write this blog entry after I had a patient over the weekend pass from a pyometra. She was only 4 years old, and the owners had no idea this was a side effect from keeping an intact female. This is an all too common scenario, and I thought for Tippy I would try to make the public more aware. Hope this gave some insight and another reason to please spay/neuter your pets.

More websites for the owner and veterinary professional to peruse:

http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/HealthConditions/SmallAnimalTopics/PyometrainDogsCats/

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/112009.htm

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=603

https://www.vetlearn.com/standards-of-care/septic-peritonitis

This is a great video of the surgery, ignore the sales pitch for his book at the end:

WARNING GRAPHIC