Poor Brandy, the 7-year-old golden retriever, had been looking peaky for several days. Her owners thought she was initially showing her age, but as her appetite dwindled to nothing and she showed an increasing reluctance to get off her bed, they knew something was up.

They duly took her in to see one of my colleagues who examined her carefully, noted she was running a fever and felt there was something abnormal to be felt in her tummy. My colleague performed an ultrasound and noted a significant swelling of her uterus, which had filled with fluid.

A severe infection of the womb

This was a classic presentation of a Pyometra – a severe infection of the womb. The fluid that could be seen on the scan was pus and without emergency surgery, Brandy would become septic and die. She was transferred to our main surgery and started on intravenous antibiotics and fluids to stabilise her. Less than two hours later she was being wheeled into surgery where I performed an ovario-hysterectomy, carefully removing her infected uterus and ovaries.

Having been a vet for nearly 25 years, I’ve lost count of the number of dogs I have performed this surgery on, but it is a procedure that, in this circumstance, gives me a lot of pleasure. I know that I can take a very sick dog, a dog that may look like it’s at death’s door, and rapidly cure them of a life-threatening condition, returning them to rude health, often within 24 hours.

Brandy must have felt better, as by the following morning she had eaten several bowls of food and was barking to be given extra helpings and go for a walk, something she hadn’t done for days. She went home less than 24 hours after being admitted, on antibiotics and pain relief, and was expected to make a quick, full recovery.

Pyometra is a common condition in older, female dogs that have not been neutered. Sadly, we don’t always get the happy outcome we did for Brandy. Neutering will obviously prevent this condition, as well as having other health benefits such as reducing the risk of mammary cancer. If you are unsure as to whether neutering is right for your dog or at what age it is most appropriate for your particular breed of dog, have a chat to your vet. Preventative neutering is also a lot cheaper than emergency surgery!