"April" was presented as an 11-year-old unspayed female Sheltie with a history of weight loss, decreased appetite, and squinting eyes. She had been "in heat" about a week prior to presentation.
Physical examination revealed a small amount of mucopurulent (pus with mucus) vaginal discharge and anterior uveitis (inflammation of the front chamber of the eyes) of both eyes. Her body temperature was high normal.
Our work-up included a blood panel and abdominal radiographs. Her CBC (complete blood count) and chemistries were normal, but radiographs of the abdomen (Figure 1) showed a markedly enlarged uterus (the uterus is not seen on radiographs if it is normal size).
 |
April was taken to surgery for a suspected pyometra. Pyometra is a condition whereby the uterus, due to an imbalance of hormones from the ovaries, fills with pus. Surgery confirmed the diagnosis, and April was spayed…the enlarged, pus-filled uterus and both ovaries were removed. She recovered nicely from surgery and was eating normally the next day. Her anterior uveitis had almost completely resolved as well, thus confirming that the uveitis was apparently caused by the pyometra. | |
|
Figure 1
|
Pyometra, if left undiagnosed and untreated for too long, can be deadly. It can lead to kidney failure, along with a host of other serious problems. It can be prevented easily in dogs and cats by having them spayed! We usually recommend spaying by the age of 6 months, unless breeding is desired. The risk of pyometra developing increases with age and it is more likely to occur after a heat. False pregnancies can also be an indication that hormones may be becoming unbalanced and pyometra development may occur.