The Silent Killer: Understanding Pyometra in Unspayed Dogs.

Pyometra is a condition in which the uterus becomes inflamed and fluid accumulates inside it. It's commonly found in unspayed female dogs as they get older, and can result from infection or hormones that promote thickening of the uterine wall and secretion buildup.

Causes of Pyometra

• Breeding, whether natural mating or artificial insemination
• Use of estrogen or progesterone for birth control
• Older female dogs that have not been spayed

Symptoms of Pyometra

Symptoms of pyometra can range from lethargy and loss of appetite, to fever in some cases, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Discharge from the genital area is called open pyometra, which may appear as pus or blood. In closed pyometra, no discharge is seen, but the dog's abdomen will appear enlarged, and there's a risk of death from bloodstream infection (sepsis).

Diagnostic Methods

• Vaginal cytology, which will show pus from the uterus
• Dogs with pyometra will have elevated white blood cell counts due to the underlying infection. Dogs with closed pyometra tend to have higher white blood cell counts than those with open pyometra. Anemia from red blood cell breakdown may also be found, along with elevated waste products in the blood (BUN; Blood Urea Nitrogen), as well as ALT (Alanine Transaminase) and ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase). Severe dehydration may also be found, along with bloodstream infection in some cases.
• X-ray and abdominal ultrasound

Treatment Steps

• Medical treatment can only be used in dogs with open pyometra, and is done in cases where the owner wants to keep the dog for future breeding, or in dogs at high anesthesia risk, or unable to undergo anesthesia at all, since this method has side effects and a chance the treatment won't succeed.
• Surgical treatment involves removing the entire uterus and ovaries, a procedure called an Ovariohysterectomy, which is a treatment method that can eliminate the source of the problem completely, with no chance of recurrence.

How to Prevent Pyometra

• Never give birth control injections to dogs intended for contraception, as this can cause pyometra.
• Spaying dogs that won't be used for breeding can help reduce the chance of pyometra, and also helps prevent mammary tumors or cancer and other reproductive system diseases.

Nothing is better than "prevention," and the best method is "spaying."