A 5-year-old Chihuahua has open pyometra, dripping pus. What to do?
Channel: Dr David Sing
Date: 2015-03-05

Mar 4, 2015. 

A 5-year-old Chihuahua was lethargic, not eating for 2-3 days and kept licking her backside. Suddenly, yellow pus dripped out from the vagina.  The diagnosis is open pyometra. 

Blood test - low platelet count indicated toxicity as total white cell count and neutrophils are normal.

The heat period was later confirmed to have started around 2-3 months ago. Surgery - right uterine horn stuck to small intestines indicating the horn had ruptured earlier (see image above No. 174 in toapayohvets.com. X rays could not show the small 4-mm uterine rupture as was is not radio-dense.

Abdominal pain was moderate during palpation. No pyrexia at the time of examination despite lethargy and anorexia for past 3 days. She had lost weight over a period of time. Private part licking for the past 3 months. 

The dog was given antibiotics and was spayed later at Toa Payoh Vets. She recovered fully.  Early detection of open pyometra saved her life as the owner brought her to Toa Payoh Vets within 3 days of seeing the passing of pus from her private parts. 

Spay your female dog at an early age of around 1 year to prevent pyometra developing. Some pyometra dogs had delayed treatment and had died. Not all cases ended up so happily as in this case.