Spay Day!

Bella is a chocolate lab that is 9 years old and came into the clinic on an urgent care exam because she had not been eating well for about a week and had decreased activity. It was soon discovered that she had what is call a pyometra, which is an infectious and inflammatory disorder of the uterus, typically occurring in adult, intact female dogs.

While this is an emergent and life-threatening problem, the symptoms can vary greatly and may take several days to discover. She would need to be handled with extreme caution as she is prepped for surgery because if the uterus ruptured, her entire abdomen would be filled with infectious fluid which could cause her to go into shock and die.  Think of it like trying to shave a water balloon! 

Once Dr. Green was able safely and surgically remove her infected uterus it was discovered that this was one of the biggest pyometra surgeries most of our experienced staff had witnessed when the angry organ checked in weighing over 10 lbs!  This is one contest you don’t want your pet to have the bragging rights to. 

For perspective, a normal uterus in a 40 lb. dog will weigh approximately two to four ounces.

Thankfully Bella was able to make a full recovery and is back to enjoying hunting and fishing. One study reported the prevalence of pyometra at about 25% of non-spayed, female dogs.  Ironically the same day that Bella had surgery, there was another veterinary clinic just a few hours away where a small dog weighing less than 10 pounds was undergoing the same procedure and had a 4-pound infected uterus removed from her little body. 

Here is a picture of her uterus. 

The signs associated with pyometras can include vomiting, diarrhea, increased drinking and urinating, depression and lethargy or vaginal discharge.  If you suspect your female dog may be suffering from a pyometra it is necessary to contact a veterinarian immediately.  The only way to prevent this condition is to have your dog spayed. 

With an ever-increasing population of pet’s filling up shelters across the world a strong consideration should be made when considering whether to spay/neuter your pet.  Not only will it help control an unwanted pet population, but there are also many health benefits for your pet.  Numerous studies have shown that having your pet spayed before their first heat cycle can reduce mammary cancer risk by half.

An altered cat or dog will have a decreased desire to roam and attract unwanted in-tact animals into your yard.  Some concerns that arise with having your pet fixed is that they may become overweight and lazy or decrease their desire to be active.  Talk to your veterinarian to formulate a nutrition plan to prevent obesity and continue to provide stimulating activities for them. 

It’s also important to spay or neuter pet rabbits.  In some regions, rabbits are the second most frequent species surrendered to shelters.  Neutering male rabbis can reduce hormone-driven behaviors such as lunging, mounting and spraying.

And as with dogs and cats, spayed female rabbits are less likely to get ovarian, mammary and uterine cancers which can be prevalent in mature intact females. Uterine cancer is the most common cancer in female rabbits, with 50-60% of intact females over the age of 4 years developing the disease.

“Nothing gives me quite so much joy as when people tell me they’ve had their pets spayed or neutered.” -Bob Barker