Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antibiotic use and recovery in dogs with pyometra surgery
By Bertero, A et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2024·Department of Veterinary Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Antimicrobials administration, treatment outcome and bacterial susceptibility in canine pyometra cases subjected to ovariohysterectomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of older female dogs with a serious uterine infection called pyometra were treated with surgery to remove the uterus and ovaries (ovariohysterectomy) along with antibiotics. All the dogs recovered well, with no surgical site infections reported. The study looked at how effective different antibiotics were when given before, during, and after surgery, finding that the best results were seen with cephazolin, especially against the common bacteria Escherichia coli. While some dogs received antibiotics that weren't fully effective, the overall outcome was positive, suggesting that surgery combined with careful antibiotic use can lead to a good recovery.
People also search for: dog pyometra treatment · ovariohysterectomy recovery · antibiotics for dog infections
Abstract
Pyometra is a bacterial uterine infection that frequently affects intact older bitches. The treatment of choice is ovariohysterectomy, often associated with perioperative antimicrobial therapy. The aim of this retrospective investigation was to evaluate the antibiotic choice at different administration times (pre-surgery, at surgery/during hospitalization, and post-surgery) against complications and outcomes, considering the susceptibility profile of bacteria. The medical records of 51 bitches referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Turin (January 2021-November 2023) and subjected to ovariohysterectomy and bacteriological examination (bacterial culture and susceptibility tests) of the uterine exudate, were analysed. All animals had a positive outcome without surgical site infections, with a longer hospitalization time in case of peritonitis or sepsis; antimicrobials were administered for an average of 7 days. Comparing the susceptibility of the isolated bacteria towards the antimicrobials administered before, during and after surgery, complete efficacy was observed in 42 %, 46 % and 50 % of cases, respectively. In addition, 5/16 peritonitis cases were treated with an in vitro ineffective antimicrobial, and 30 % of the bitches never received a fully effective antibiotic, according to susceptibility tests using the minimum inhibitory concentration method (MIC). Cephazolin resulted the best option for Escherichia coli, the most frequently isolated bacterium. Our study confirms that pyometra has a good prognosis following ovariohysterectomy and antibiotic administration. Monitoring the clinical evolution without changing the antibiotic according to bacterial susceptibility could represent the right choice in uncomplicated cases. Evaluation of outcomes without postoperative antibacterial treatment or with a shorter course would be another topic worth investigating, with the aim to judiciously reduce the use of antibiotics.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38866074/