The Danger of Pyometra in Dogs

Hello! Sallie here! I want to share with you my scary near death experience so maybe your lady dogs don’t have a similar or worse experience.

When I came to my forever family, they were told that I was spayed but I wasn’t. I kept getting sick, but my new family were very good about getting me the vet care that I needed, and quickly, otherwise I may not be here right now.

When I got very sick, I didn’t want to eat but was drinking a lot of water. I was tired and kept having accidents all the time, then started having trouble getting up and was very weak and shaky. It turned out that I had Pyometra; it was scary and painful, and mom said it was very expensive to treat. She now calls me her “million dollar baby”.

Pyometra is a severe infection of the uterus that is caused by hormones and bacteria. It is a serious and life threatening condition that must be treated quickly and aggressively, because if the uterus ruptures it becomes toxic in a girl’s abdomen- kind of like what can happen with appendicitis. Pyometra can happen in any female dog who hasn’t been spayed and is common in older females, but it can happen with only 1 heat cycle. The best prevention is to have all female dogs spayed, preferably at or before they are six months old and have their first heat cycle.

I was lucky and survived, but many girls don’t. So please, help us spread the word that it’s important to spay your beautiful female pups. Not only does it prevent unwanted pregnancy but it can save their lives!

With a heavy heart we must add that Sallie lost her battle with health issues. There were complications due to her late veterinary care and she passed away two weeks ago. Sallie is forever loved and greatly missed.