She Just Wasn’t Herself: Addie’s Emergency Pyometra Surgery
The first sign was not dramatic.
Saturday morning, Addie ate a few bites of her breakfast and walked away. Over her next several meals, she did the same thing. She would still eat her cheese snacks. She still wanted to go for a walk. She wasn’t coughing, her temperature was normal, and her breathing wasn’t labored.
She just wasn’t herself.
Addie is our 10-year-old Kangal Dog who normally acts like she is starving. Leaving food behind was not normal for her, especially meal after meal.
She had also recently finished a heat cycle that lasted nearly four weeks. Because she was not spayed, pyometra was one of the concerns in the back of my mind, but there were other possibilities too. We considered everything, and admittedly I went down the internet rabbit hole and even dug into age-related illnesses.
On Monday morning, I put Addie on our livestock scale. I hadn't weighed her in several months and was surprised to find she was about 10 pounds lighter than at her previous weigh-in. We don't know exactly when she lost the weight, but combined with the sudden change in her appetite, it was another reason I wanted her examined.
The Vet Visit
Addie has been seeing the same veterinarian since she was 10 weeks old. They know her, and I trust them.
At her appointment Monday afternoon, Dr. Bo ran bloodwork and took X-rays. Her white blood cell count was extremely high, and the X-rays did not look right. He kept her at the hospital while he waited for the radiologist’s review.
Then came the call we had been afraid of...
It Was Pyometra
Pyometra is a serious infection of the uterus that can develop in an unspayed female dog, often following a heat cycle. The uterus can become enlarged and filled with infected material. If the infection progresses, the uterus can rupture, or the infection can spread through the bloodstream.
The recommended treatment is an emergency spay to remove the infected uterus and ovaries.
I told them to do whatever was necessary to save her.
Emergency Surgery
Addie went into surgery Monday evening.
Waiting for that call was awful. When Dr. Bo finally called, she was out of surgery and beginning to wake up. She was already lifting her head.
The diagnosis was unquestionably pyometra, but thankfully, her uterus had not ruptured. She stayed at the hospital overnight on antibiotics and pain medication so they could monitor her closely.
Dr. Bo called Tuesday morning with the news we had been hoping for: Addie was doing well, and she had eaten breakfast.
She could come home.
Home and Recovering
Addie is home now. She is tired, which is expected after major abdominal surgery and a serious infection, but she is resting comfortably.
She is taking ciprofloxacin twice a day for 14 days and carprofen once a day for pain and inflammation. However, she does not appreciate the medication routine. She isn’t fighting me, but she is making it very clear that she is not happy about it.
For the next 10 to 14 days, she will be limited to leash walks for bathroom breaks, with no running, jumping, rough play, or unnecessary stairs. We will also be checking her incision every day and watching to make sure she continues improving.
The Sign That Mattered
Addie did not have a dramatic fever. She did not collapse. She did not stop eating everything. She still wanted cheese snacks and walks.
Her earliest clear sign was simply that she stopped finishing her normal meals.
That is what made this so frightening. Pyometra does not always announce itself with one obvious symptom. Sometimes the first sign is simply knowing your dog well enough to recognize that something is wrong.
If you have an unspayed female dog, especially one that has recently finished a heat cycle, do not ignore a sudden change in appetite, energy, thirst, urination, breathing, or behavior. Call your veterinarian and let them decide what needs to be checked.
We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Bo and the entire team at Port City Animal Hospital. They have cared for Addie since she was a puppy, and when she needed them most, they moved quickly, found the problem, and performed the surgery that surely saved her life.
Today, our girl is home where she belongs, beside her momma.❤️