I have a bitch with a uterus infection

[SHOWBOX]

Your bitch, then, has an open pyometra which means she does not necessarily have to be spayed.

Your bitch may treat successfully with the antibiotics alone, but the chance of recovery is even better with prostaglandin therapy as well.

Consult your vet for this option, but be aware that many vets have a "spay all pit bulls" mentality and he (or she) might only want your dog spayed.

Jack

Correct on both counts. I’d prefer NOT to spay her since she CAN produce but my situation just isn’t what it used to be and I don’t see me breeding her any time soon. I’m back and forth on this one.

She is doing well, eating again and as always, starting trouble on the yard when taken for her potty walks. She is still considerably underweight but her attitude never changed surprisingly. I see a full recovery in her future and I want to sincerely thank everyone who was kind enough to show concern and share their advice, knowledge and/or experience. I will of course continue to keep you all posted and God bless.

SHOWBOX

[Officially Retired]

That is great news

[S_B]

Pyometra sucks, I have had three bitches on my yard with it over the last two years and one I sent to another yard.
I'd like to share my experience, at the same time had I known about this site sooner...maybe could have saved myself some grief...

Bitch #1 over 8yo, never able to get pups tried to breed again in hopes of pups... Pyometra crept up instead of a pregnancy.
I douched this bitch daily with a betadine solution until her discharge wasn't so nasty and gave her injectable Baytril for 30 days! Injectable was what I had at the time and I went so long because she was still discharging until about day 20 or so. I just wanted to be sure all the infection was outta there before I stopped ab's.

Next heat, it was back, I didn't even get a chance to try and breed her. So this time I tried lutalyse with Cephlexin I knew it was hopeless at this point so before the bitch got to bad off, which surprisingly she never either time really became to sick and never went off her food but made the decision to put her down.

Bitch #2 Came to the yard from a friend and was never right, they said no heat cycle that they noticed but the bitch was puffy. Anyhow after a couple weeks pyo reared it's ugly head again. Not knowing much about the bitch I just thought if Cephalexin with kick it out we'll see if she's worth it. Well it did, nothing more than Cephalexin and this bitch is healthy as a horse and recovered like a champ.

Bitch #3 This was a tough one, 6 yo first time I tried to breed her. She looked like she took at about 5 weeks in, but then she all of a sudden didn't look pregnant at all. I suspected something was up and watched her closely expecting to see discharge. It wasn't until about two and a half weeks later I saw some discharge. Pyo again! This can't be happening! After some research I decided to try Metronidazole, I knew it had been used in women for uterine infection so why not a dog? But I'll be damned I couldn't find anything on dogs. I asked a tech friend and they said they had used that stuff for deep bone infections and Giardia. But after explaining the human use they agreed that it was worth a shot. Fellas that was all I used and she just bounced back with little to no discharge after a few days although it didn't completely subside until about 10 days later and I went another 5 on the Met. All Pyometra's were open.

Again had I been here the advise Jack has given as well as others would have saved me some time, but I was so so surprised to see you use the Met in your treatment. I hope I'm done with the stuff, but I have a feeling I'm not.

[SteelyDan]

The prostaglandin treatment in addition to clavomox and baytril inj. worked great for me. If you don't spay her be on your toes about what the initial cause was and will it be reoccurring. Some things like this can give you insight into future events in your dogs health or decline in health. Such as, is the infection a secondary reaction to the hormones being disrupted because of say...a cancer in her repro system?

Something to think about none the less. Glad your dog is doing better. Keep an eye on her, just never know what's gonna pop up next.
SD

[S_B]

Yes Dan, cancer has been on my mind. I've had several bitches whom I've never gotten pups off of. One reason I always thought was a few of those bitches were very male like. They always marked like a male, they had a more male like physique and never wanted to be bred at all. They would have rather done the breeding themselves. lol

And they almost always develop breast tumors later in life....actually today I had to put one down, she lived a good long life though, almost 14.

And thank you, I sure will keep my eyes on them both, and after reading Jack's blog about breast cancer, I'll be keeping that in mind to.

[S_B]

Correction, article about cancer in bitches is here http://www.thepitbullbible.com/forum/content.php?162

[Rome1999]

Anybody successful breeding a bitch with Open Pyometra

[CYJ]

This is a dreadful disease that can show up anytime and especially on older bitches that have had a good many litters or back-to-back Breedings and litters. There is some hope for a younger brood dog but not so much for an older brood bitch. Once you see the lumps and tumors in the mammary glands with inflammation. About all that can be done is have the bitch dog spaded. If wanting to just keep dog for pet etc.

I had two wonderfully bred and built red/ red nose brood bitches bred off Joe Beal's dogs heavy in his Beal's Ida Red bitch. One was very male looking and built. Looked like a clone of Ferguson's Centipede. Which these dogs were descended from way back.

Both were very high strung, root chewers and diggers to China. LOL Their mouths being constantly in the dirt probably allowed to much bad bacteria into their systems. So even when bred and put up off the ground. The stress of the birthing etc. would in a matter of a few days or so. The milk would go bad and poison the pups. The only litter raised off my Young's Amber bitch was done by Ronale Morris' daughter who was a registered nurse.

After the first- or second-day pups were born. She took the pups off Amber and hand raised them. It was quit a job and Ronale said he would never do that again. I gave one nice big male pup to Mr. Joe Beal. Whom, he named Beal's Southern Johnny Reb and was his last main stud dog he bred off till he passed. I do not know what happen to the rest of that litter and assumed they were put down with the rest of Morris's dogs after that trouble he got into.

I have found once that sort of infection problem start showing up with pups being lost before birth or after. That brood bitch is like a bad milk cow that produces little milk or a hunting dog that back tracks. Best to spade and keep for a pet etc, or put down and move on.

This is just another part and process of the culling of non producing dogs etc. In whatever endeavor they are bred to be used for. To try and correct these sort of serious, recurring problems of certain health issues. Can quickly become the proverbial money cow.

Best to move on to one of your younger and healthier brood dogs. Yet, I know how it feels, been there and done that. I wanted just one more litter off my Young's Face bitch, Face was too old and her whole female system was too old. All things under this sun has a end sooner or later. Take Care and good luck.

[CYJ]

I would like too also add. That I did treat these brood dogs with the correct antibiotics etc. under a vet's care. Did use a Happy Jack product to keep the bitch's milk clean. All to no avail.

Said before these female dogs were either too much male, too high strung or just bred out, worn out or too old. From the get-go my Vet. told me either to spade or put down. He had, had very little sucess in his practice of correcting these sorts of female issue in brood dogs. Take care.

[SGC]

Yes, uterine infections are a real risk with an older female. I have a 7 yr old female that's never been bred, she's just a pet. I am getting her spayed next month since I don't plan to breed her and at age 7 she's getting older. The risk is significantly higher for older females that have never been bred. I'd rather not risk pyometra so feel spaying her is the best choice. She was from a litter of 11 pups so some of her siblings can carry on the line.