Neutering female dogs brings many other advantages, beyond reproductive control to avoid unwanted litters. It also prevents the heat and, consequently, the attraction of the males that can lead to the aggressiveness of the females. In addition, it prevents certain conditions of the uterus, avoids psychological pregnancies, reduces the probability that the animal will suffer mammary tumors, ovarian, vaginal and uterine cysts and prolongs the animal’s life expectancy.
Neutering a dog also improves control of diseases such as epilepsy, diabetes, and leishmania, among others. One of the conditions that our dog can suffer if she is not sterilized is pyometra. So if you have a female dog, or also a cat, you should know what it is and how to identify it.
Pyometra is a serious infectious disease, which is caused by the accumulation of bacteria and pus in the uterus of the animal. It is more frequent in female dogs, but female cats can also suffer from it, without spaying. In both cases, it usually occurs at advanced ages – over 7 years old – and takes place between 15 days and two months after heat.
The infection is produced by secretions from the uterus after heat, a culture medium for bacteria that ascend from the vagina causing the infection. Bitches that have undergone hormonal contraceptive or heat inhibition treatments are more likely to suffer from it. During cycles, the animal’s endometrium is exposed to high concentrations of progesterone and, if there is no pregnancy, the risk of suffering from this condition increases.
Before the symptoms mentioned above appear, you should go to the vet as soon as possible. There, in addition to the clinical examination of the animal, a blood test and an x-ray or ultrasound will be performed.
The treatment to treat pyometra is a surgical intervention. Specifically, the sterilization of the dog or cat will be necessary to remedy the infection and also prevent it from suffering from it again in the future.
