Pyometra

[feistychins]

How does a vet test to confirm pyometra?

I have a friend who chin sits a lot for a woman who doesn't really care about her chin. Lately the chin has been quiet and cleaning her privates a lot. My friend brought her to the vet and the vet mentioned a uterine infection because the fur around that area is discolored and she has minor discharge. No x-rays were taken. She put the chin on trimeth, but my friend wonders if she is just in heat. She wonders if is it more, she is worried she may need to get her spayed if it will help the chin if it is a serious infection.

This is a non-breeding chin about 5 years old. Does the vet need to take a swab of the discharge and run tests or does an x-ray tell them anything about an enlarged uterus or possible tumor?

 

[Sycamore Chins]

You sometimes can see an enlarged uterus on a radiograph. An ultrasound is 10x better. A vaginal swab/smear would also be helpful, but there are natural bacteria around that area, so it may be hard to interpret.

ETA: also bloodwork, usually there is a blatant severe infection that'll show up.

How is the chin acting? Bright and alert? Usually pyo's are pretty depressed and ill.

 

[AZChins]

Yep, most of the time chins with a uterine infection are at death's door by the time you figure out they have it. The drainage out of the vaginal opening normally doesn't occur until it's really serious and the chin probably won't make it.

It sounds like it probably is just a urinary tract infection. Chins that have those urinate all over themselves because they can't control it or their bladders are so irritated that they feel full all the time.

Swabbing and culturing doesn't do a whole lot. Basically the vet will say, "yes, there was bacteria present." But, there's bacteria present there naturally and it doesn't mean much. The normal discharge that chins get when they go into heat isn't cause for much concern so the vet may not have thought it was an issue at all.

How is the chin doing now?

 

[feistychins]

This is part of what my friend emailed me "she started looking draggy and sad. I took her to the vet, who suspects either a uterine infection or possibly a mass"

This is in NY and I don't know the vet. Why the vet would suspect a mass if she did not feel anything or take an x-ray I don't understand.

I am trying to find out if the chin is still eating/drinking or not, but at this hour on the east coast I won't hear from my friend until tomorrow most likely. I never considered that a swab would show some bacteria naturally, should of thought of that.

Nothing was said about the chin being wet as well as discolored fur, so I don't think urinary infection was mentioned.

My friend wonders if maybe she is just in heat, but that does not explain the "draggy and sad" the chins has been, when she is normally very active.

The chin is not critical, so maybe it is something else and the vet is jumping to conclusions.

 

[AZChins]

A urinary tract infection would make a chin draggy and sad for sure. There's a lot of inflammation that goes along with that and it can hurt to urinate even though there is a constant urge to urinate. Antibiotics should start to work very quickly. Usually in a day or two the chin improves - the chin just looks more comfortable and happy.

Definitely keep tabs on how the chin is doing. Chances are the chin will be just fine in a day or two and all that will need to be done is to give the antibiotics. There could be something more to it, but time will tell.