I am off to the vet this afternoon with my 8 month old Cairn, Abby. She is about 12 days into her first season and unwell. Late yesterday afternoon she became very lethargic, which I attributed to the hot weather. However, she turned down her food and later in the evening vomited several times. She was clearly unwell all evening. I hoped she would be brighter this morning. She is a bit, but she is still refusing to eat. Only had a small puppy treat and looked like she forced it down out of habit. She's not drinking either. And she is still slower than normal, but so far no vomitting.

I am worried she could have pyometra. I am also worried I will get one of the young vets at the practice and she will not consider pyometra because she is in season and it is her first. Or maybe I am just fixated on it myself. What sort of tests should be done if pyo is suspected?

Given the unknown quantities of fox, cat and who-knows-what poo, and miscellaneous stuff she eats on her walks -- I suppose it could be a tummy bug. I hope.

Stacey

With pyo one of the symptoms is "usually" excessive drinking, however not always.
Usually ther is a smell "horrid" at the rear but again not always.
Is her temp. normal as if an infection she would have a temp., but a raised temp. could be from a tummy bug too.
If it is pyo the final diagnosis can be from an ultrasound which will show any "pus" in the womb.
If it is pyo (providing open) ask your vet for the prostaglandin treatment with Marbocyl as the support anti-biotic. Too often vets suggest hysterectomy for open pyo when the prostaglandin has a good sucess rate - wonder why? £££££ !!
If it is a closed pyo then obviously it would have to be emergency hysterectomy :-(
Hope everything is ok and let us know :-)

hiya
Try not to worry. It is pretty common for bitches to become lothargic and listless on their first season, after all, it is the first time they have ever experienced it.
A pyometra is EXTREMELY doubtfull. These generally only develope much later in life. It sounds like your pup is far too young.
Also, dont worry about seeing a young vet, actually, these can sometimes be better than the older ones. In my experience from the practices I have worked at, sometimes its the younger ones who figure out the problem quicker. They have completed their training more recently so they are more up to date with any new findings. I hope no one thinks that I am saying anything agains older vets. I am just trying to put your mind at ease.
I really dont think you have anything to worry about. You will probably find it is due to either the first season, or like you said, a simple tummy bug.good luck.
x

Sorry going to disagree, it is not unusual for a bitch to have a pyo after or during her first season, in fact there was one on this board only last week!!!

As to young vets, but yes they may have all the booklearning in the world but that doesn't compensate for experience. Give me the older wiser vet anytime, some of the youngsters are to jumped up with their own importance for me!!!

Saying all that she sounds definitely under the weather especially with the vomiting etc. and would get her checked out, ask for a blood test if the white blood cells are high then something untoward is going on and needs further investigation.

As someone said earlier unless it is a closed pyo don't let them operate until other methods have been tried.

Fingerscrossed for you that it is her hormones playing her up and once over the season will be fine. :-D

That was me with the dog in season and pyometra. In fact she had grade one pyo, or maybe endometritis. . .

She was very listless and sad (altho she kept eating, but then she's a lab ;) ) and on day 8 produced foul smelling green tinged discharge.

Ask the vet to do an ultrasound scan. The vet saw from this that one of her uterine horns was full of fluid and made his diagnosis and she is getting better on antibiotics. Get the blood tests too, results came back next day.

~Sharon

Thanks everyone. The (youngish) vet said that he doubts it is pyo. She did not have a temperature. He said it's probably gastritis. Gave her an antibiotic jab and Clamoxyl tablets. She's due for worming tablet so he said to give her one as soon as she keeps a meal down. And then the usual starve her for a day and then feed chicken and rice for the next three days. She still has no interest in food, so the starving part she is taking care of herself.

He said to bring her back if she gets worse or does not improve.

With regard to young vets, I am sure there are many sharp ones. It just annoys me that at this surgery there is a never ending stream of locums and they are all young. The vet that owns the place hardly ever seems to be there, perhaps he's not interested in a partnership and so the younger vets do not stay for long.

Stacey

Thanks, you have reassured me. I know pyo at this time would be very atypical, but it does happen. I just wish Abby would stick to having her season and quit scaring the heck out of me. This is the first time she has every turned down food or been poorly. Even a broken leg and surgery did not slow her down.

Stacey

I agree pyometra at the first season is unexpected, but apart from the case on this board, I know of one other in a cocker :( so it does happen.

Good luck, hope Abby is OK

Lindsay

My dog didn't have a temperature either! (It was also her first season)... just so you know...

~ Sharon

Thanks Sharon. I am a chronic worrier when it comes to sick dogs. I did tell him I was concerned about PYO and that I know of a number of people whose pups contracted PYO with their first season. He said I was right to be concerned, but that the way she was presenting herself was not consistent with PYO.

I will continue worrying until I see she is fully herself again. And probably a bit after as well :-)

Stacey

Stacey, Cairns are resilient little blighters, with a huge self-destruct streak!! The early days with mine were spent largely worrying myself sick about the bizarre things that got mistaken for dog food (shower gel samples, polythene bags, a wall, a wicker basket...); about every little sneeze, peculiar poo, bout of thirst, lack of bounce...I got a grey hair a week, I reckon. Only once can I think of a prolonged period of illness, a bad tummy bug that took about 3 weeks to totally get over. (With many noxious emissions in the meantime :( )

I don't know about pyo as I have always had dogs, but I'm sure your girl will be fine. In true Cairn style, it is probably something she scavenged that's causing the problem! :D Fingers crossed she will be right as rain in the morning; do let us know.

Four hours after her antibiotic injection and Abby was back to normal. I do not even want to think about what she ate that caused her to get so ill. I am just grateful it was only a bad case of gastritis and not PYO.

Stacey

I'm glad she's better. :)

That is good news. :) I must admit I have often thought of muzzles to deter scavenging - I have spent countless hours and days worrying about odd things that were scavenged and whether this would be the one that would cause an emergency dash to the vet :rolleyes:

Hope the rest of her season passes uneventfully!