Pyometra

[Rascalmyshadow]

After 4 years of tests, xrays, antibiotics and incontinance medication my old girl has been diagnosed with possible stump pyometra.

Two weeks ago she went under a general to have a ruptured cruciate repaired, while there I asked the vet to check her because her vulva was really swollen like she was in season and she has been licking the area constantly, he took swabs and found lots of pus. Today we had an ultrasound specialist come into work and they used her as the guinea pig, they found the part of the uterus that gets left was twice the size it should be and indicated there was a lot of infection.

She has been on and off antibiotics for two years so much that they stopped clearing up her bladder infections, we got her on a combination of stillbeostrol and propalin which seemed to be helping with the incontinance although she behaves like there is still irratation.

I noticed strange behaviour recently when I took four male entire rescue dogs, she stood stiff with her tail to the side like she was ready to be mated, wasn't at all worried when they were trying.

Over the last couple of years she has had blood in her urine which we always put down to the infections but I am starting to wonder if she was having minor seasons. She also has other behaviour that is more like an entire bitch but we have always put it down to her personality. She also drinks quite a bit but ends up still dehydrated (confirmed with bloods).

She was desexed at 11 months old and never had a season which I thought was quite strange.

My questions are has anyone else been through this and what was the outcome? It is caused because all ovarian tissue wasn't removed at the time of desexing, should my vet be liable for the costs to do the surgery to fix it ?. We have spent probably into the thousands trying to get to the bottom of whats going on and the poor girl has suffered all because

someone hasn't done their job correctly IMO.

My other worry is they will open her up and find tumours or damage to other organs. She is on antibiotics over the weekend and will be operated on, on Monday.

[cowanbree]

Nicole you could be writing my story. I have an aussie with more or less exactly the same story. After a lot of research I have concluded that it is just as possible that she has ovarian tissue growing in an abnormal place as my extremely competent vet leaving some behind so it really is impossible to apportion blame as much as I would like to considering the amount of money I have spent over the past 4yrs. At this stage I have decided not to operate as my vet and the reproductive specialist said it is major and very invasive surgery but rather treat her with the injection which works for 12mths and suppresses her coming into season without any of the side affects an entire bitch might suffer

Edited January 21, 2010 by cowanbree

[Nekhbet]

should my vet be liable for the costs to do the surgery to fix it ?.

good luck proving ... I'll bet on winning the lotto first

I have a friend who's dog had ovarian tissue left in .... not a nice predicament. And yet, vets will excuse out the bum for it if it does happen

Check for tumors, hormones are not only produced in gonadic tissue.

[curlygirl]

I have worked at different vets, I've been a vet nurse for over 20yrs (qualified in 1988). Over this time I have seen a few cats and bitches present with signs of being in season after being sterilized, the time varies but usually 12mth after op. In all cases some ovarian tissue was left behind, it only needs to be a very, very small amount and then it grows. As it gets bigger it can start to produce enough hormones to bring on signs of heat/seasons. The animals have been re operated on and had the tissue removed, once done the signs of heat/seasons stopped. The ovarian tissue was found at the end of the ovarian stumps not just anywhere in the abdomen.

[Rascalmyshadow]

My question about the vets being at fault was out of curiosity, I work at the clinic where all my animals are treated so I know if they felt they were responsible they wouldn't charge me.

The reason we are going ahead with the surgery is because they are not 100% sure if it is the pyometra or if it is something else and surgery is really the only way to get to the bottom of whats going on.

[pebbles]

Some may remember me posting about my son's 8yo speyed girl producing 3 pups? Apparently a botched spey is not so unusual?

Edited January 23, 2010 by pebbles

[all that glitters]

Some may remember me posting about my son's 8yo speyed girl producing 3 pups? Apparently a botched spey is not so unusual?

Wowser! :D

[Rascalmyshadow]

pebbles I am a bit shocked I don't recall seeing that thread.

[pebbles]

There's a bit about it in Health etc. September 24 '09 under "Phantom Pregnancy - with Lactation". Sorry I don't know how to post a link to a topic. I think there was a separate thread somewhere but this one gives the general outline.

[Nekhbet]

Some may remember me posting about my son's 8yo speyed girl producing 3 pups? Apparently a botched spey is not so unusual?

A spey should be the entire uterus and ovaries being removed ... that means the dog was not speyed at all or the vet for some weird reason did not do a full hysterectomy

[pebbles]

Well aware of what a full spey is. Son has had dogs for years, mainly bitches which were always speyed as was this one - anyway she came back from the Vets with the usual operation signs. Having got to her age, at times running with entire dogs, without any pregnancies or signs of a season, something must have taken a long time to develop.