Suzie was a few weeks out of her last heat cycle. She was not eating well, lethargic and started to have brown, thick infected looking discharge from her vulva. Her family was on a very tight budget due to her recent bought of pancreatitis that required almost two weeks of hospitalization and treatment. Her cot of care for that was almost $1600. So when the pyometra diagnosis happened the well was dry.
Diagnosis is best made with the following;
physical exam and history (not spayed and last heat cycle about 4-8 weeks ago).
ultrasound, x-ray ( can on occasion be used to support diagnosis), and blood work (often these patients have a very high white blood cell count, and are dehydrated.
I am going to say that based on my experience these should always be treated as soon as possible by spaying (OHE). Remove the infection! I provide pre-operative i.v. fluids, antibitoics and ant-inflammatories. I want them to be on fluids for at least a few hours before surgery, but some patients present so sick and debilitated I worry about internal rupture and sepsis.
Suzie had a pyometra surgery one day after her diagnosis. Her diagnosis was based on her exam, blood work, and an ultrasound.
Suzie’s surgery was covered by our internal Good Samaritan Fund. Suzie has become a patient I couldn’t turn away. We have fought for weeks to help her get through her pancreatitis, giving up on her now, based on a lack of finances was not something I could do. She has a treatable condition and it is well within my abilities to provide the care she needed, so we do it.
Her surgery was not a routine spay. She had a very large, very fragile uterus, and she is tiny, (6 pounds). I had to work fast and keep her from getting too cold. But in true Suzie fashion she did really well during her surgery. I expect her to make a full recovery.
This story was posted with her families permission.
The cost of her care is as follows;
exam $50
ultrasound $250, was done pro bono by a JVC veterinarian as a follow up to her previous pancreatitis scan.
blood work $170
iv fluids $25
i.v. catheter $40
anesthesia $200
pyometra surgery $350
pain medications $40
antibiotics $22
hospitalization for 3 days $240
more on pyometras here
