Lola is 6 year old Pitbull not spayed and a very sweet dog. Lola was bought to Harmony Pet Clinic for having blood tinged discharge from her genitals. She was also feeling lethargic and not eating much for few days. However, Lola was drinking more water and urinating more often.
On careful exam the veterinarian determined that it is a condition called ‘pyometra’. Pyometra literally translate to pus in uterus. Female dogs and cats that are not spayed when they are young can develop this condition. We ran some tests (blood work, x-rays and ) on Lola and found that she was dehydrated and her kidneys were affected.
Lola was prepared for emergency surgery as this is the only option once they develop pyometra. Emergency surgery involves a spay which means removing the infected and pus filled uterus. This surgery carries much higher risk for the pet as body is not healthy to handle anesthesia and there can be complications during surgery like rupture of uterus and contaminating the other organs.
Surgery went well for Lola and she recovered very well. She was able to go home next day but continued antibiotics and pain medicines at home. Lola healed very well in two weeks and went back to her normal routine of chasing squirls, eating well and napping.
Take home points:
- Get your pet spayed after 6 months of age.
- Monitor for any sign of sickness and bring to your veterinarian immediately.
- Any discharge from genitals should be of concern and get checked with your veterinarian.
