METRITIS
Metritis is the medical term used to describe inflammation of the uterus. This uterine disease is similar to pyometra but it has some differences. Unlike pyometra, metritis is most often a bacterial uterine infection that develops in the immediate post partum (after giving birth) period and occasionally after abortion or breeding. It is most often associated with retained fetuses or placentas. What is metritis?
Metritis is a serious bacterial infection of the uterus. It usually occurs within a week of whelping or queening, but occasionally occurs after insemination or breeding. The infection can spread to the bloodstream and cause an infection of the entire body, or a sepsis.
What causes metritis?
Bacteria invades the uterus, most commonly right after birth when the uterus is most susceptible.The germs usually originate in the vagina. This is more likely to happen if there has been a difficult birth or if the mother has failed to deliver a fetus or placenta.
What are signs of metritis?
A cardinal sign of metritis is an abnormal discharge, a pus and/or green or brown colored fluid with an unpleasant odor, from the vulva (the external part of the female genitalia). Depression, loss of appetite, fever, poor mothering, and decreased milk production are also common.
How is metritis diagnosed?
Your veterinarian may suspect metritis after examining your bitch or queen and obtaining the history, but will probably want to run several tests to confirm the diagnosis and check for any underlying cause. A blood count is performed to look for response to infection. Vagina cell
(cytologic) examination under the microscope will allow a check for germs and pus in the reproductive tract. When infection is found, cultures are performed to identify the organism and identify the best choice of antibiotic. An abdominal radiograph (X-ray) is performed to check for a retained fetus. An ultrasound is often performed to look for retained fetus or placenta, and will visualize any retained fluid within the uterus.
How is metritis treated?
Treatment will depend upon your pet's condition. Severely ill patients may need hospitalization for intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Patients with a damaged uterus may require an
ovariohysterectomy (spay). For more stable patients, antibiotics are given, and injections of prostaglandins (they help empty out the infected uterus) are administered.
What is the prognosis for animals with metritis?
The prognosis for metritis patients that are spayed is very good. The prognosis for patients with uncomplicated metritis (no retained fetus or placenta) that are treated medically is fair, but the ability to produce future litters may be decreased.
The above is for severe forms of the disorder and for bitches overlooked by their breeders in the early stages. If diagnosed and treated promptly, then it may not be quite so dramatic.
It can range from a mild infection that makes the bitch feel unwell, a little off her food, or it can be more advanced with a distended abdomen, discharge through the vulva, anorexia, and weakness.
This needs to be treated with antibiotics. Keep in mind that Metritis can remain in the bitch as a low grade infection that may prevent her from conceiving at her next season.
Metritis, can also affect the nursing puppies as the infection is passed from the dam to the puppies through the milk. If severe, you may start to lose puppies (often thought of by breeders as "Fading Puppy Syndrome") which in fact, those puppies if hand raised or put on to a foster mother, where possible, would have survived.
Puppies affected may develop bloated abdomens, diarrhoea, and may or may not have tiny pustules on their abdomens or around the head area. Puppies should also be treated with antibiotics if they have a chance to survive.
Post antibiotic therapy, always remember to replace the good gut bacteria with probiotics or natural yoghurt.
Treating the puppies and not the mother or treating the mother and not the babies, will not work! Both must be treated.
If this same bitch fails to conceive at her next mating, I advise treating her with antibiotics prior to her next mating for a minium of seven days and then again two weeks before the puppies are due to enable her to conceive.
For more such information buy my book "Let's Talk Dogs" available for sale from this web site.
Written by Anne Roditis
© copyright 2007
Metritis is the medical term used to describe inflammation of the uterus. This uterine disease is similar to pyometra but it has some differences. Unlike pyometra, metritis is most often a bacterial uterine infection that develops in the immediate post partum (after giving birth) period and occasionally after abortion or breeding. It is most often associated with retained fetuses or placentas. What is metritis?
Metritis is a serious bacterial infection of the uterus. It usually occurs within a week of whelping or queening, but occasionally occurs after insemination or breeding. The infection can spread to the bloodstream and cause an infection of the entire body, or a sepsis.
What causes metritis?
Bacteria invades the uterus, most commonly right after birth when the uterus is most susceptible.The germs usually originate in the vagina. This is more likely to happen if there has been a difficult birth or if the mother has failed to deliver a fetus or placenta.
What are signs of metritis?
A cardinal sign of metritis is an abnormal discharge, a pus and/or green or brown colored fluid with an unpleasant odor, from the vulva (the external part of the female genitalia). Depression, loss of appetite, fever, poor mothering, and decreased milk production are also common.
How is metritis diagnosed?
Your veterinarian may suspect metritis after examining your bitch or queen and obtaining the history, but will probably want to run several tests to confirm the diagnosis and check for any underlying cause. A blood count is performed to look for response to infection. Vagina cell
(cytologic) examination under the microscope will allow a check for germs and pus in the reproductive tract. When infection is found, cultures are performed to identify the organism and identify the best choice of antibiotic. An abdominal radiograph (X-ray) is performed to check for a retained fetus. An ultrasound is often performed to look for retained fetus or placenta, and will visualize any retained fluid within the uterus.
How is metritis treated?
Treatment will depend upon your pet's condition. Severely ill patients may need hospitalization for intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Patients with a damaged uterus may require an
ovariohysterectomy (spay). For more stable patients, antibiotics are given, and injections of prostaglandins (they help empty out the infected uterus) are administered.
What is the prognosis for animals with metritis?
The prognosis for metritis patients that are spayed is very good. The prognosis for patients with uncomplicated metritis (no retained fetus or placenta) that are treated medically is fair, but the ability to produce future litters may be decreased.
The above is for severe forms of the disorder and for bitches overlooked by their breeders in the early stages. If diagnosed and treated promptly, then it may not be quite so dramatic.
It can range from a mild infection that makes the bitch feel unwell, a little off her food, or it can be more advanced with a distended abdomen, discharge through the vulva, anorexia, and weakness.
This needs to be treated with antibiotics. Keep in mind that Metritis can remain in the bitch as a low grade infection that may prevent her from conceiving at her next season.
Metritis, can also affect the nursing puppies as the infection is passed from the dam to the puppies through the milk. If severe, you may start to lose puppies (often thought of by breeders as "Fading Puppy Syndrome") which in fact, those puppies if hand raised or put on to a foster mother, where possible, would have survived.
Puppies affected may develop bloated abdomens, diarrhoea, and may or may not have tiny pustules on their abdomens or around the head area. Puppies should also be treated with antibiotics if they have a chance to survive.
Post antibiotic therapy, always remember to replace the good gut bacteria with probiotics or natural yoghurt.
Treating the puppies and not the mother or treating the mother and not the babies, will not work! Both must be treated.
If this same bitch fails to conceive at her next mating, I advise treating her with antibiotics prior to her next mating for a minium of seven days and then again two weeks before the puppies are due to enable her to conceive.
For more such information buy my book "Let's Talk Dogs" available for sale from this web site.
Written by Anne Roditis
© copyright 2007