From:
mariebartholdsson@hotmail.com
Date: 2001-04-04 11:46:00 UTC
Subject: Pyometra, question for vet
I have a five years old, intact jill. She has not been bred before,
but four weeks ago I tried to breed her to one of my hobs without
much success. He seemed to be dragging her around most of the time
when I checked them, and I don't think they actually mated. It was a
bit early in the year for the hob, because he lives outdoors.
Two weeks later I palpated a longish mass in the jill's abdomen, on
the left side. It continued to grow during the following week to
it's current size, about 2 inches long. It could be an enlarge
uterine horn. The right side of the abdomen feels fine, and she has
no other symptoms. She eats a lot and has calmed down, sleeps most of
the day, but that is normal if she is pregnant or pseudopregnant. She
doesn't drink more than usual, poop and urine is fine. Temperature is
normal. At two occasions I have noticed a slight, greenish discharge
from the vulva. The vulva is also still a bit larger than I would
expect it to be at this point.
Today I took the jill to the vet. Despite both an X-ray and an
ultrasound the vet wasn't able to tell for sure if the uterus is
enlarged or not. She couldn't see any fetuses, although she said they
wouldn't show on an X-ray until the last week of the pregnancy. She
did see something on the ultrasound, a round, black, diffuse object,
about half an inch, which she couldn't identify. She also did a urine
test, and it was ok. Her diagnose was probable pyometra.
The jill is now on Terramycin three times daily, but I'm worried this
treatment won't be enough. Is there anything else that could be done?
Can you give prostaglandins to ferrets?
I don't know if this is an open or closed pyometra (or even if it is
pyometra at all).
I know the chances of this jill having a litter later this year
aren't very good considering her age and the possible infection, but
I would very much like to try and breed her again. But I will rather
have her spayed than risking her life.
I will appreciate any suggestions and ideas as to what this might be,
and what I should do about it.
Marie