The past few weeks have been very busy for me. I have seen a wide variety of problems in dogs that relate to the reproductive tract. I don't even know where to start!
When a female is not spayed, she is prone to a number of problems. The main problem is unplanned pregnancy. Pregnancy can be dangerous if the female is a small breed and the male is a large breed, or if the female is old. I often have to see females for what is politely termed 'mismating', i.e., she had a one-night stand with the local gigolo and is possibly pregnant. To stop pregnancies, we give injections 24 hours apart to make the uterus unable to maintain the pregnancy. This, however, is not the best solution for the problem because of possible side effects.
Only last week, I had to perform a Caesarean section on a 9-year-old Labrador cross that met up with a husky in a dark alley. She had one puppy on her own, then stopped having contractions. Luckily, I was able to deliver seven more very large, healthy puppies. This was her second litter, and it will hopefully be her last.
Then, the following day, we saw a 78-kg St. Bernard that had just had one very large puppy (2 kg). I had to x-ray her to see if she had any more puppies, but she didn't. That is a small litter for such a big dog!
Another case that I had to operate on was a Bernese mountain dog suffering from a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus. These infections can be life threatening. A pyometra can occur in females of any age, but is more commonly seen in older dogs a few weeks after they have been in heat. When a female is in heat, the enlarged cervical opening allows bacteria to invade the uterus, which provides the warm, moist environment that promotes bacterial growth. The result is an infection and the formation of pus, which can drain only if the cervix remains open. Some of the symptoms of a pyometra are loss of appetite, vomiting, increased thirst and urination, weight loss, and depression. Blood work may show an elevated white blood cell count and dehydration. The best treatment for a pyometra consists of fluids, antibiotics, and spaying.
The best solution to all of these problems is to spay and neuter dogs. Not only does the procedure prevent unwanted puppies, but it also prevents pyometra and greatly reduces the incidence of mammary tumours.
When a female is not spayed, she is prone to a number of problems. The main problem is unplanned pregnancy. Pregnancy can be dangerous if the female is a small breed and the male is a large breed, or if the female is old. I often have to see females for what is politely termed 'mismating', i.e., she had a one-night stand with the local gigolo and is possibly pregnant. To stop pregnancies, we give injections 24 hours apart to make the uterus unable to maintain the pregnancy. This, however, is not the best solution for the problem because of possible side effects.
Only last week, I had to perform a Caesarean section on a 9-year-old Labrador cross that met up with a husky in a dark alley. She had one puppy on her own, then stopped having contractions. Luckily, I was able to deliver seven more very large, healthy puppies. This was her second litter, and it will hopefully be her last.
Then, the following day, we saw a 78-kg St. Bernard that had just had one very large puppy (2 kg). I had to x-ray her to see if she had any more puppies, but she didn't. That is a small litter for such a big dog!
Another case that I had to operate on was a Bernese mountain dog suffering from a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus. These infections can be life threatening. A pyometra can occur in females of any age, but is more commonly seen in older dogs a few weeks after they have been in heat. When a female is in heat, the enlarged cervical opening allows bacteria to invade the uterus, which provides the warm, moist environment that promotes bacterial growth. The result is an infection and the formation of pus, which can drain only if the cervix remains open. Some of the symptoms of a pyometra are loss of appetite, vomiting, increased thirst and urination, weight loss, and depression. Blood work may show an elevated white blood cell count and dehydration. The best treatment for a pyometra consists of fluids, antibiotics, and spaying.
The best solution to all of these problems is to spay and neuter dogs. Not only does the procedure prevent unwanted puppies, but it also prevents pyometra and greatly reduces the incidence of mammary tumours.
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