Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical outcomes and risks of peritonitis in female dogs
By Jitpean, Supranee et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2014·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Outcome of pyometra in female dogs and predictors of peritonitis and prolonged postoperative hospitalization in surgically treated cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of female dogs diagnosed with pyometra, a serious infection of the uterus, underwent surgery to remove the affected organs. After surgery, some dogs developed complications like peritonitis (an infection in the abdominal cavity) and urinary tract infections, which led to longer hospital stays. Key signs that indicated a higher risk for these complications included low white blood cell counts, fever or low body temperature, and severe lethargy. Monitoring these symptoms can help veterinarians predict and manage potential issues in dogs recovering from pyometra surgery.
People also search for: dog pyometra symptoms · female dog surgery recovery · signs of infection after spay · dog low white blood cell count treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: One of the most common diseases in intact bitches is pyometra--a potentially life-threatening disease associated with a variety of clinical and laboratory findings. The aims of the present study were to describe complications of the disease and to investigate clinically useful indicators associated with peritonitis and/or prolonged postoperative hospitalization. RESULTS: A retrospective study was performed using records from 356 bitches diagnosed with pyometra during the years 2006-2007 at the University Animal Hospital, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. Of the 356 bitches, 315 were surgically treated by ovariohysterectomy, 9 were medically treated and 32 were euthanized without treatment. In the surgically treated bitches, univariable associations between clinical and laboratory data, risk for prolonged hospitalization (≥ 3 days) and/or signs of peritonitis, were analyzed by Chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Logistic regression models were used to assess multivariable associations.The most common complication observed in surgically treated bitches was peritonitis (40 bitches), followed by urinary tract infection (19 bitches), wound infection (8 bitches), uveitis (6 bitches), and cardiac arrhythmia (5 bitches). Leucopenia and fever/hypothermia were associated with increased risk for peritonitis (18-fold and three-fold, respectively). Moderate to severe depression of the general condition, pale mucous membranes and leucopenia were associated with increased risk (seven-fold, three-fold, and over three-point-five-fold, respectively) for prolonged postoperative hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Several clinically useful indicators were identified. Leucopenia was the most important marker, associated with 18-fold increased risk for peritonitis and an over three-point-five increased risk for prolonged hospitalization. Fever/hypothermia, depression and pale mucous membranes were associated with increased risk for peritonitis and/or prolonged hospitalization. The results of the present study may be valuable for identifying peritonitis and predicting increased morbidity in surgically treated bitches with pyometra.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24393406/