My dog has anemia and suspected pyometra. Should I spay her?

At this point with history of a pyometra, the anemia could be secondary to a chronic infection and until the infection is under control the anemia may continue to worsen. Post-surgery, it would be important to ensure that there is no blood loss. If the total protein is low and the red blood cells are dropping this could indicate that there is a hemorrhage occurring somewhere in the body. If an ultrasound has not already been performed, I would certainly recommend having one done to help see if there's anything going on in the abdomen that may indicate an active hemorrhage. If an active Hemorrhage has been ruled out, then the next challenge is to determine whether or not the anemia is regenerative or non regenerative. As I stated earlier, this anemia could be secondary to the infection and it could also be immune-mediated meaning that the immune system is destroying the red blood cells for some reason. Some drugs can cause this condition and other times we never find out what it is caused by, we simply treat. I would have a reticulocyte count sent out as part of a full workup. My concern is that the red blood cell count continues to drop. You may be faced with the decision to do a blood transfusion to maintain the red blood cells at a particular level so that Hannah remains stable. If this is due to a chronic infection, then it may take some time for the antibiotics to start working before the anemia resolved or begins to improve. I sure hope Hannah improves soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help answer any others that you may have.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Assie! Where is she bleeding from? Her vulva? Bleeding and purulent discharge from the vulva is common in an open pyometra, that means the infection is draining though an open cervix. The draining doesn't indicate that she is improving or will get better it just means that the cervix is open. There are 2 types of pyometras: 1) open and 2) closed. Closed are very serious because the uterus can get very big and rupture. I highly recommend having Assie spayed. Pyometras are life threatening. If you are not planning on breeding her I would proceed with removing her uterus. I would contact your Vet when they open and discuss the discharge and bleeding and see if they want to change their course of action. I hope this helps and I wish Assie the very best!

I would have Hennessey seen by a vet immediately. I would be very concerned that this heavy bleeding, lethargy, and bloating is caused by a pyometra. A pyometra is a serous infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. Using a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and x-rays, the vet can diagnose if she does have a pyometra and can treat her for it. Should she have one, spaying her is part of the recommended treatment. Please take Hennessey into an ER vet or find a vet on call to see her now.

First off, I'm sorry Maggie has a pyometra! Yes, you are correct that spaying her is the correct way to deal with it, and I do recommend having it done right away. The longer she has the pyometra, the sicker she will become, which will make the surgery more risky. Leaving it untreated is fatal, and in my opinion, it's better to have the surgery done and try to save her life even though you do take the chance she may not survive the surgery. I have seen numerous dogs and cats survive the surgery. One option you have is to euthanize her instead of doing the surgery. This will put her out of her suffering from the pyrometra, but it does mean you lose Maggie for sure. In same cases, such as with an open pyometra, medical treatment with antibiotics can be attempted, but that that often isn't successful and cannot be done with a closed pyometra. Only your vet can determine if medical treatment is an option for her. I would get her into a vet immediately, as the longer you delay treatment, the worse the prognosis is for her. You can discuss the options with the vet, and make the best choice for her and you. Best of luck!

Poor girl. Pyometra doesn't usually cause just bloody discharge. It will be a foul smelling pink discharge or no discharge at all. However, if she had her last heat cycle 1-2 months ago and now appears to be having a similar heat cycle, then I would definitely suspect that she has pyometra. At any rate, because she is so ill, I would highly recommend Zoe see your local vet for a thorough exam and medical care. Any pet that refuses food for more than 24-48 hrs should be seen, because an underlying illness is present that needs to be identified and treated for. I hope that your pet Zoe is able to make a full and speedy recovery soon! Best of luck and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am afraid that this is more concerning this time. It may be due to an infection such as Pyometra or something else. For that reason, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can then decide what would be best after evaluating her. Best of luck!

If they vet recommended spaying, I wondering if the bleeding is actually coming from her vulva. If it's definitely from her anus, she needs a rectal exam, abdominal x-rays, and then likely a colonocopy to look for the problem. I would be concerned about a cancerous growth.