PYOMETRA AND INCONTINENCE AFTER SPEYING

[susan clemence]

Hi everyone, I need some advice, I've posted before about My 4yr old IS Lexi and her operation to remove a growth which popped out of her cervix 12 months ago.  At the time the emgergency vet advised to spey her but my own vet said no he would rather put her on hormone injections to stop her seasons as setters were very prone to incontinence and as she was so young the tablets to control this would only work for a short time.  The hormone injections have been fine but last week she started with a bloody discharge from her cervix.  I took her to the vet who admitted she knew very little about the injections and thought it was breakthrough bleeding or possibly the start of a open pyometra.As a precaution she started her on antibiotics. The discharge has got worse and although she is still completely her normal self it now seems to be irritating her to the point that she has licked all the coat around her rear end away.  I have just looked up symptoms of an open pyometra and I think this is what she has.  Suffice to say I am going to go the vets on monday and say I want to spey her.  My 2 setters are my first dogs so I have no experience of incontinence and how to cope with this.  

[Sue Paterson]

Hi Susan. Not all bitches who are speyed become incontinent, so you hopefully won't have this problem.

Our bitch Bridie has an ectopic ureter and was incontinent only around her seasons when we would give Propalin. As she got older it lasted longer so in the end she is on it all the time.

I never found that it stopped working ie no wet bedding, but she did lick a lot and that set up other problems ie furballs! From time to time she would heave and vomit long sausages of compacted hair...not pleasant for her.

This year she had pyometra and was speyed and I would say she is actually improved, in that she rarely licks,

so I assume she is leaking less!

That is the only experience I have had of incontinence with the girls...elderly dogs  yes, but with vet bedding they stay dry as moisture wicks away,  and its very easily washed and dried. Even the duvet/mattress beds can be covered with waterproof covers before the fluffy ones, so again easily managed.

Every few days we wash the dog's tummy and groin area with a solution of hibiscrub to keep it clean and avoid skin problems.

Hope this helps and I hope Lexi doesn't become incontinent and feels loads better:)

[Howard Glansfield]

If she has open pyometra then she will need speying urgently.Pyometra is a killer.I doubt she has it because she would be very ill by now. If I was you I would change my vet!

[Rosie Dudley]

I think you should first consider if she is defying the hormone injections and has come into season, a progostorone test might confirm it. I consider your vets advice to put Lexi on long term hormone injections very strange, it can't be good for her. 

Speying her could result in all the unwanted side effects, very few get away with it, my advice is to speak to a vet who specialises in reproduction, I would recommend Angelika von Heimendhal she is not far from Cambridge  http://www.vetrepro.co.uk/ she will give you the very best advice. She may need it to be a referral from your vet, so that she can look at the cast history but that should not be a problem. 

[susan clemence]

thanks for your replies , lexi has been scanned today and had blood tests and she does have a pyometra.  She is still completely well apart from the discharge, in fact she is just in the middle of a tug of war with my other setter and was chasing balls around this morning. I always thought they were very unwell with a pyometra just goes to show you have to be vigilent and go with your instincts. She is being speyed tomorrow so everything crossed that it all goes well.

[Angela Clarke]

Good luck Lexi for tomorrow, so pleased to hear that she is so well. Yes very true about going with your instincts, after all no one knows your dog like you. Take care Susan and don't worry X

[Dianne cook]

Our fur friends are much more tolerant than us humans when they aren't well.
All the best Susan and Lexi for tomorrow.... Keep you both in our thoughts. X

[Dianne cook]

Hi Susan how's Lexi going after her surgery?

[susan clemence]

Hi Dianne Lexi is doing ok now although it has been a bit of a shock to me how depressed and lifeless she was after the surgery especially as she was so lively and normal even on the morning of her surgery.  For the first 9 days she wouldn't even walk for 10 minutes and wouldn't step on grass she would only walk around the streets.  She had her stitches out on friday and we have been to the caravan this weekend and it seems to have been a turning point as she was trotting around tail wagging and was much happier and we even managed a walk for an hour.  Hopefully she should soon be fully recovered.  Thank you for your concern.  Wishing everyone on exclusively setters a happy and healthy 2014.  Best wishes Susan

[Dianne cook]

Hi Susan, pleased to hear Lexi is doing better now!..... Maybe the anisetic put her off for a few days, at least now she will start to feel better. All the very best to you too, your family and furbabies for a happy & safe 2014! Take care Dianne and furkids. X