Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pyometra in female dogs at UK RSPCA hospitals 2006-2011
By Gibson, A et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2013·Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A retrospective study of pyometra at five RSPCA hospitals in the UK: 1728 cases from 2006 to 2011.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at 1,728 cases of pyometra, a serious infection of the uterus, in female dogs treated at five RSPCA hospitals in the UK between 2006 and 2011. The average age of dogs diagnosed was about 7.7 years, but some breeds like dogue de Bordeaux and bullmastiffs were affected at younger ages. The research found that certain breeds, including bullmastiffs and golden retrievers, were more likely to develop this condition. Pyometra can be life-threatening, and surgery is often needed to treat it, with a small risk of complications. Awareness of this condition is crucial for improving care and preventing it in the future.
People also search for: dog pyometra symptoms · pyometra treatment for dogs · signs of infection in female dogs
Abstract
A retrospective cross-sectional study was used to analyse pyometra cases at five RSPCA Animal Hospitals across the UK from 2006 to 2011. A total of 1728 cases of pyometra were recovered from a female dog outpatient caseload of 78,469 animals, giving a total prevalence of 2.2 per cent over the study period. There was an annual increase in the incidence of pyometra within the population, while elective ovariohysterectomy caseload has declined. There were variations in breed and age at presentation. Bullmastiffs (P<0.0001), golden retrievers (P=0.001) and dogue de Bordeaux (P=0.008) were over-represented in the pyometra population when compared with the female dog outpatient caseload. Mean age at presentation was 7.7 years. Some breeds presented at a significantly lower age, including dogue de Bordeaux (mean age 3.3 years) and bullmastiffs (mean age 5.4 years), while others presented as older dogs, including Yorkshire terriers (mean age 9.4 years) and border collies (mean age 10.3 years). Surgical mortality rate at the Greater Manchester Animal Hospital was 3.2 per cent. Pyometra is of significant welfare concern, and also has cost implications, particularly in charity practice. These results serve to highlight this condition so that future change in charity practice caseload can be anticipated and strategies can be directed to improve animal welfare.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24114733/