Final Video: Time is running out - pyometra in an old female dog
Channel: Dr David Sing
Date: 2014-04-30

When the vet (myself) said that the dog had a very low chance of survival on the operating table and the medical costs were high in this closed-open pyometra case, the owner probably felt that it would not be justified paying for such a high risk anaesthesia.  He decided to bring the dog home to die. 

But I noticed that there was this 12-year-old boy who cried his heart out. Some vets don't follow up as the owner had decided and they had no time to "solicit" for business and risk being rejected.. 

But this little boy loves this 14-year-old dog very much as tears streamed down his face when the father decided on no operation. He knew the outcome would be death from septicaemia (leucocytosis, neutrophilia, thromobocytopenia in the blood test).

I phoned the father (owner) the next morning. The dog was still passing bloody vaginal discharge and had become lethargic. 

I reduced the surgical costs to give this high anaesthetic risky canine patient a chance to live. 

Time was running out on her as she became sick again. Her serosanguinous vaginal discharge flowed out like a burst dam.

If she survived the operation, the little boy would get his companion back to health and that was what mattered to me in this case.

 "Don't wait till you have finished work this evening to bring the dog down," I advised the father. "Bring her down now while she still has a fighting chance to live. Time is running out." 

Dr Daniel operated immediately in the afternoon. The dog was warded one night. The little boy was most happy to have his companion back home the next day with his mother. "Are you happy now?" I asked him as he carried his friend carefully into the car. "Yes," he beamed to me his best smile.. 

This is a case where a vet can make a difference if he makes time to follow up before time has run out for a little boy's best friend. Happiness in the boy's face when the dog went home the day after surgery would be hard to describe. "Are you happy now?" I asked him as he sat at the back of the car with this old dog. "Yes," he nodded vigorously while his mummy was most happy too.. 

Time was running out as the bacterial toxins would cause permanent kidney damage. The father's decision to operate  saved the dog's life. .

Now, as at Jun 25, 2014, around 2 months after spay, the 14-year-old dog is normal. 

This case encourages the vet to care for the sick pyometra dog taken home by the owners who do not want spaying. I did this by following up with the owner the next day via telephone call. Reducing the medical costs would be needed in some cases where money was a concern. I reduced the medical costs by 50% so that the little boy's companion has a chance to survive and live to a ripe old age.