Would a bitch that you suspected may have a Pyometra always have a temperature?? My girl is showing most of the signs of this and I do have an appointment at my vet already however her temp is normal and I'm not sure if this would rule out it being Pyometra?

Well they certainly always check for elevated temperature when looking for a pyo so I would say yes but best get things checked especially if she is ticking the other boxes. Can't take any risks with pyos.

The books AND the vets would all have you believe this, but from my own experience with 2 bitches (mother and daughter) they didn't have temperatures and were both very atypical for the symptoms of pyo.  Neither of them drank excesses of water, but both were clearly unwell and tender around the back end - reluctance to jump on/off the bed was one symptom!  The vets fobbed me off with a diagnosis of pulled muscle!

Both went on to have emergency pyometra's (closed type) with their following seasons, damaging the heart in one. I was very lucky to get them both back. Thinking back, each season was progressively bringing them down, but NO temperatures etc. One was even scanned and misdiagnosed.

The vets did admit afterwards that there is still a lot that is unknown re. pyometra in bitches.

The one surefire way to avoid pyo is to spay if you don't intend to breed.  I'll definitely do it with all my non-breeding bitches from now on. They're both like spring chickens now - very definitely different, and it's one less thing to worry about.

I hope this helps and good luck with your girlie. 

My rescue girl only had excess drinking as a symptom and she was operated on and it was a closed Pyo.

Thanks for your reply...she is a breeding girl and was mated 10 days ago but a few days after the 2nd mating she started with a very dark (almost black) discharge and then on Sunday through the night she was sick several times. When I took her to the vet on Monday he told me it was "the wrong time" for her to have Pyometra as they don't get it till 6/8 weeks after a season and that she would have would have a high temperature and raging thirst. He gave an anti sickness injection and antibiotics, she has picked up, hasn't been sick again and is eating BUT the discharge is still there and I have a bad feeling about it...the antibiotics finish on Friday so will have to see what happens then!

I don't want to alarm you, but I seem to recall a recent thread on here, posted by the stud owner, whereby the bitch died shortly after the visit due to an undiagnosed Pyo.

So it can happen during a season.

here's the link

I feel quite annoyed with the vet because I know it can happen that way, many years ago I had the very same thing happen, one of my girls had been mated and 10 days later she had the dreaded discharge, my vet (different vet) checked her over and advised spaying her which we did and she lived a long and happy life, she did however have a very high temperature at the time. Because I've had experience with it though, it has made me very aware of any problems, it's difficult to argue with a vet when he states that she does NOT have Pyometra...but he gave antibiotics so clearly he agreed that she has an infection! I will have to see a different vet if the discharge does not clear soon.

Has she had a scan?

Pyo's can be seen quite clearly. The pencil thin line that is the uterus is a lot wider if the uterus is filled with pus.