Pyometra

[Seraphina]

Over the 30+ years I only knew of one bitch that had pyometra, my vet says it is very rare, he does not even recall the last case he treated, but on the USA forums they talk as if pyometra is something that every entire bitch is almost certain to get.

However yesterday morning my friend told me she is taking her young female (15 months old i think) to be spayed as she was becoming aggressive towards their other 2 whippets as well as dogs in the park. When she collected her after the op she was told the bitch had beginning of pyometra and was very lucky they got is so early.

They spent the Christmas here so now I am bit concerned about how the bitch got infected, and I am watching my girls closely.

Does anybody has an experience with this?

 

[Lydia]

Hi Seraphina,

A friend of mine delayed her bitches first season with an injection to stop it,provided by her vet.She later booked the bitch in to be spayed with the same vet, on collection, the vet was pleased because this bitch had also started to develop pyometra.

I've never heard of other bitches developing pyometra after living/spending time with bitches that have pyometra.

Now the injection that vet's use to delay/stop seasons has been improved,it isn't supposed to cause pyometra,the injection that my friend's bitch had,could as a side affect cause pyometra with some bitches.

In fact, the only bitches that I know personally,who have developed pyometra was after they'd recieved the old injection to delay/stop a season.I would not expect any of your bitches,to develop pyometra from being in contact with a bitch who was going to develop pyometra,but,I do feel/think that keeping a close eye on bitches is always worth while.

Sorry I can't be more help.........

Lyd

 

[Seraphina]

Thanks Lydia, I feel bit calmer now! Although not before I ordered a bottle of collostrum capsules which suppose to improve the immune system. Oh well, i can always take it myself. :b

 

[*Lesley*]

A friend of mine's whippet got an infection after her first season he took her straight to the vet which turned out to be pyometra she unfortunatley she died(she was so gorgeous too) but it was just one of those tragic things and with her being young didn't help I would imagine to be able to fight this awful thing but his other 2 bitches were fine and the vet didn't say that it could be passed on :thumbsup:

 

[nina]

Thanks Lydia, I feel bit calmer now! Although not before I ordered a bottle of collostrum capsules which suppose to improve the immune system. Oh well, i can always take it myself. :b

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Hi Seraphina

Pyometra is not contagious. I have been unfortunate enough to have 2 bitches suffer from this over the years. It normally occurs within approx 4-6 weeks of a season finishing. Where the vulva has been open & susceptible to infection throughout the season, it is far easy for them to pick up germs etc.

There are mainly 2 kinds of Pyo's, one which they call an Open Pyo where by you normally see a discharge from the vulva & at least generally get some warning that something isn't right. The other is called a closed Pyo which is far more dangerous as the infection is contained within the uterus & you normally have no signs of discharge at all.

The uterus fills up with pus & poison & if surgery is not performed to remove this quickly it can burst flooding the body with the poison & infection which kills the bitch.

Both mine unfortunately were closed Pyo's BUT knowing the symptons, lethargy, off their food, normally raging temperature, some sickness, they were rushed straight to the vet.

With my IG who had it, a full blown row developed with the vet as he was of the opinion that it wasn't a Pyo & even x-rayed the bitch to see if the uterus was enlarged, which he said it didn't look to be on the x-ray & wasn't happy to go ahead & operate.

In the end i told him if he didn't open her up i would take her elsewhere, he reluctantly agreed but said i had to take full responsibility which i did & he rang me later that day to apologise & said the uterus was 3 times its normal size & he just couldn't beleive how it had not shown up on x-ray.

Anyway both bitches were spayed & still live happy & full lives.

Just always be aware of any changes in a bitch's normal behaviour after a season just incase.

Hope this helps a bit, only personal experience :thumbsup:

Nina

 

[jools]

Thanks for the information Nina, Tizzy, my collie x was also given an injection to knock her season off - she was rushed in 3 weeks later and had an emergency spey through pyo. This was 5 years ago and I always wondered if the jab had in some way induced the pyo - though the vets said not!

I stopped using the vets not long after, just wasn't happy with some of their decisions on foster dogs.

 

[nina]

Thanks for the information Nina, Tizzy, my collie x was also given an injection to knock her season off - she was rushed in 3 weeks later and had an emergency spey through pyo. This was 5 years ago and I always wondered if the jab had in some way induced the pyo - though the vets said not!

I stopped using the vets not long after, just wasn't happy with some of their decisions on foster dogs.

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I have to say i am not a fan of anything that interferes with a bitch's natural cycle. I know its difficult & most vets will say the injection is completely harmless BUT my vet did admit that these injections can cause problems & he couldn't honestly say hand on heart that these injections definitely would not cause a pyometra.

I have never had one of these season delaying injections so cant honestly say either way BUT i do know several people who have had them & had nothing but problems afterwards including Pyometra & also not being able to get the bitch's in whelp at a later date when they have decided to mate them.

I personally would not ever like to take the risk, but thats just me & am sure their are others who have perhaps used these injections with good results?

Would be interesting to hear?

Nina

 

[posh totty]

reading this subject with much interest, as a vets local to us is for some reason always telling owners that bitches have potential for pya ( cant spell it sorry!) and whenever they go in for anything he always spays and says it was an emergency as stating to show signs of pya? the dog could go in 100% fit and if you left her there he would then say a problem occured after the owner had left? i can call on at least 12 people this happened to! i find this very strange? I do understand sometimes that there is a need for a neutering program but to do it in such a sneaky way beggars belief, the disease is very serious and should be treated as such not as a cover up for sly practices, 1 bitch was a ped of the same type the vet had, the owner was due to breed and dog was in for full screening pre mating and low and behold she had signs??? guess who bred his dog shortly after??? any one else had similar?

 

[June Jonigk]

Nina has hit the nail on the head :thumbsup: If I'd typed out a message, it would have said just the same. I don't know about your vet not remembering the last case Seraphina - he must either have a bad memory, or he's not very busy!! The fact that Nina has had two bitches with a pyo shows that it cannot possibly be as rare as your vet says. I worked in a vets for many years, and we didn't have a case every week, but they were a regular occurence.

No-one needs to panic though, but just keep a close eye on your bitches in the weeks after their season, which is when it normally happens. I also would never use any drug to interfere with bitches seasons - it's not worth it. Better to be safe than sorry :thumbsup:

 

[~whitecross whippets~]

reading this subject with much interest, as a vets local to us is for some reason always telling owners that bitches have potential for pya ( cant spell it sorry!) and whenever they go in for anything he always spays and says it was an emergency as stating to show signs of pya? the dog could go in 100% fit and if you left her there he would then say a problem occured after the owner had left? i can call on at least 12 people this happened to! i find this very strange? I do understand sometimes that there is a need for a neutering program but to do it in such a sneaky way beggars belief, the disease is very serious and should be treated as such not as a cover up for sly practices, 1 bitch was a ped of the same type the vet had, the owner was due to breed and dog was in for full screening pre mating and low and behold she had signs??? guess who bred his dog shortly after??? any one else had similar?

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vets can diagnose early changes in the uterus which include thickening (called hyperplasia) of the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) and this so-called cystic endometrial hyperplasia may be present with or without the complications of inflammation (endometritis) or infection (pyometra). :thumbsup:

 

[*Lesley*]

When my friend lost his to pyo I thought it was very rare but by reading these it seems not however since that happened to my friend I have always had a worry about it and it has made me watch them very closely for changes of behaviour, having said that I also worry about phantom pregnancies, actual pregnancies pretty much everything really :b

Does speying rule out the possiblity of pyo all together,I'm not rushing off to the vet I just wondered :unsure:

 

[~whitecross whippets~]

When my friend lost his to pyo I thought it was very rare but by reading these it seems not however since that happened to my friend I have always had a worry about it and it has made me watch them very closely for changes of behaviour, having said that I also worry about phantom pregnancies, actual pregnancies pretty much everything really :b
Does speying rule out the possiblity of pyo all together,I'm not rushing off to the vet I just wondered :unsure:

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yes lesley.. it does ..because pyometra is an infection of the uterus and when a bitch is spayed the uterus is removed :thumbsup:

 

[*Lesley*]

When my friend lost his to pyo I thought it was very rare but by reading these it seems not however since that happened to my friend I have always had a worry about it and it has made me watch them very closely for changes of behaviour, having said that I also worry about phantom pregnancies, actual pregnancies pretty much everything really :b
Does speying rule out the possiblity of pyo all together,I'm not rushing off to the vet I just wondered :unsure:

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yes lesley.. it does ..because pyometra is an infection of the uterus and when a bitch is spayed the uterus is removed :thumbsup:

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Thanks Kaz it's a scary thought I will be keeping a watch on my girls :huggles:

 

[~Sarah~]

I worked for a vet many years ago and assisted at a number of pyometra ops, so I wouldn't have thought they were rare, but obviously I have no knowledge nowadays.

I can clearly remember a little Yorkie with a closed pyo. Its womb was enormous and when removed it filled a rectangular washing up bowl. (w00t) (w00t) Luckily she survived and was fine afterwards. :luck: :luck:

 

[kim & Tilly]

Gosh, this is scary as hell!!

I will be watching my bitches very closely after their seasons from now on, and i will put up with the blood and mess :x instead of an injection...

Some really good advice on here thank you :thumbsup:

 

[nina]

Its funny how this topic has just come up as i was only at the vet last week picking up some worming medicine & whilst waiting there were a couple in there with two Belgian Shepherd dogs.

One a youngster a dog who they had bought in for his annual booster & the other was his mum 6 years old & we got talking & they said they had bought the mum in to be checked as she was losing a discharge. I asked out of interest how long ago she had had her last season & they said approx 5 weeks ago.

I thought then instantly Pyo, but said said nothing & wished them luck. When they came back out, they said the bitch was booked in for first thing next morning to be spayed, the vet was 99% sure it was Pyo!!!

I think it is far more common place than a lot of people realise. Thankfully most vets seem to act quickly on it now as many years ago i know several bitches in different breeds who died because they just weren't operated on quickly enough & the uterus burst. Now whether in each case it was the fact that the owners had no experience of Pyo & maybe delayed getting the animals to the vet or whether the vets didn't act quickly enough i dont know?

I know one case for sure of a whippet & the owner was absolutely frantic on the phone to the vet pleading for him to see the bitch in the early hours of the morning & he refused & said he was sure she would be fine until the morning, by which time she died just as they reached the surgery at 9am.

 

[~Helen~]

With two bitches, I've read this thread with great interest as well, and have now added it into FAQ under specific health topics and also Gender Issues :thumbsup: so that's it's easy to access if anyone wants to check info in the future

 

[nina]

With two bitches, I've read this thread with great interest as well, and have now added it into FAQ under specific health topics and also Gender Issues :thumbsup: so that's it's easy to access if anyone wants to check info in the future

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:thumbsup: , hope some find it of some help in some small way.

 

[Seraphina]

What I do not understand; if it is a bacterial infection why doesn't it respond to antibiotics? Many years ago, my bitch developed disgusting smelly discharge after mating, she was put on massive dose of antibiotics, and i was told that even if she did conceive there is no way the pups can survive this, and she will abort them. Well, they did survive, ALL 15 of them!!! (w00t)

I don't know about your vet not remembering the last case Seraphina - he must either have a bad memory, or he's not very busy!!

Actually, he is extremelly busy man, with some 30+years experience of treating mainly show dogs, many of them sighthounds. So most of his patients are entire. He said he has seen very few cases of pyometra, of-course he is comparing it to the large number of dogs he sees each day. Somebody on the USA forum said their clinic avareges 2 cases of pyo a week. (w00t) I believe that contributing factor is lowered immune response. The questions i would like to ask

1- is pyometra on rise?

2- do we have here in Australia less cases than USA and UK?

3- if so , WHY ?

 

[nina]

1- is pyometra on rise? - I personally do not think it's on the rise, i just think more people are aware of it now & actually know what it is.
2- do we have here in Australia less cases than USA and UK? - I dont think so, but such as over here, until you know someone who has had experience of it, a lot of people are blatantly unaware.

3- if so , WHY ? - As above.

Most vets will tell you that ANY entire bitch is susceptible to Pyometra at any stage of her life. Why some get it & some dont? Well its a bit like saying why do some dogs get cancer & others dont, i guess sometimes its the luck of the draw BUT certain aspects obviously can increase the risk, ie: maybe the the season altering injections?

Plus like with the common cold if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you are gonna catch it. Same as if your bitch is unlucky enough to come in contact with a germ or infection whilst in season & the vulva is open maybe she will pick it up, given the same situation when not in season & not susceptible she would be fine?

None of my bitches are treated any differently, they all live in the house, always have clean bedding, are never taken to shows whilst in season, i have never had any of the season altering injections administered, yet why did 2 of mine get it yet the others didn't??