Daisy Ball has been awarded the Fromus Vet Group’s

JANUARY 2007 PET OF THE MONTH AWARD

Daisy is a lovely friendly eleven year old Collie cross, who at the grand old age of eleven began to lose her appetite, and drink more than usual. After a few days her owners began to worry, and brought her to see the vet. The vet examined her and discovered that she had a high temperature and was a little dehydrated. It had also been a long time since her last season. The vet was very concerned as to the cause of Daisy’s illness, so he decided to take a blood sample to try to determine the cause of the problem.

The blood test showed that Daisy had an increased number of white blood cells in her blood stream. White blood cells are released by the body in response to infection, and Daisy’s white blood cells were at such a high level to make the vet suspicious of a severe bacterial infection. In an older bitch who has never been speyed (neutered) such as Daisy, the most likely cause is an infection of the uterus (womb), or pyometra.

It was decided that exploratory surgery was needed to determine whether the vet’s suspicions were correct. Daisy was anaesthetised, and her abdomen (tummy) was shaved and cleaned to remove any bacteria. She was attached to an intravenous drip to support her circulation during surgery, as well as antibiotics and strong painkillers to prepare her for the operation ahead.

Daisy’s abdomen was opened surgically, and almost immediately it was seen that her uterus (womb) was extremely large and swollen, and filled with pus. Daisy was suffering from pyometra. This condition, if untreated, is usually fatal, as bacteria and toxins from the uterus leak into the abdomen and the blood stream, causing peritonitis (infection of the internal organs) and septicaemia (blood poisoning). In severe cases the uterus can even rupture. The only treatment for Daisy was an emergency ovariohysterectomy (speying).

An ovariohysterectomy, even in a young, healthy bitch, is a big operation. But in pyometra the operation is much more demanding. There is also a much higher risk of complications such as haemorrhage (bleeding), infection, and kidney failure due to toxins from the bacteria.

Each ovarian artery (see picture) was carefully clamped with forceps to cut off the blood supply, and two ligatures of dissolvable suture material were placed around each artery to crush it. Both arteries were carefully checked, as the vet had to be sure that the arteries would not bleed when the forceps were removed. Then the round ligaments, which attach the ovaries to the body wall, were broken to free the uterus. The two large uterine arteries were ligated in a similar manner. Eventually the body of the uterus, just above the cervix, was crushed and ligated, and the uterus was lifted free of the abdomen. This whole procedure took around ninety minutes.

After checking very carefully for any bleeding, Daisy’s abdomen was now sutured closed – first the muscles, then the subcutaneous fat, and finally her skin. Daisy recovered very well from her anaesthetic, but we were still very concerned for her health – many dogs will develop septicaemia (blood poisoning) and kidney failure after such a severe infection, even when the source of the infection has been removed. To help prevent this Daisy was given intravenous fluids via a drip, and intravenous antibiotics. She was also given strong painkillers.

For the next 24 hours Daisy remained very poorly, and her condition was closely monitored. But by the following day she was much brighter and had begun to regain her appetite. Daisy has been back to see us since then, and has continued to make a full recovery.

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