07/04/2023
**Surgical Management of open pyometra in a pug**
Bubbles, a 5.5 year old, intact female pug has been our puppy patient. She developed ovarian cysts and immediately thereafter psuedopregnancy, after her first heat as an 8month old pup. We had then managed her with homeopathy. When after the second heat as well that she developed pseudopregnancy, her parents were educated about the importance of neutering her (ovariohysterectomy). However, she being a pug and the anesthetic risks involved, they put off the idea and decided to wait until a do or die situation occurs.
Four years later, Bubbles developed an open pyometra - cervix is open so the pus/infection in the uterus flows out from the va**na. We immediately ran investigations, confirmed the diagnosis and made sure she was stable to take the procedure. The surgery went as smooth as textbook-like and she has healed beautifully :). The picture dipicts the ever so bubbly Bubbles who had to be forced into an E collar with so much tact so she wouldn't take it off, thanks to her parent who is a designer 😅. We whole heartedly thank them for having unwavering faith in our efforts always.
We want to take this opportunity to educate parents that pyometra does not develop overnight. It is a harsh byproduct of a complex milieu of hormonal derangement. Always take the basic operative risk and get your dogs spayed (pan ovariohysterectomy) as early as 6 months of age to avoid such life threatening situations.
P.S. Dipesh and I scrubbed up for this surgery 15 minutes after we got our daughter's blood report and we wern't sure if it was a major diagnosis, as we waited for her doctor to get back to us. A doctor's life is one of the most difficult and the juggle between personal and professional obligations are never ending. But we still put ourselves out there, keeping everything behind and giving our best effort to save lives, every single day. To all those passion driven doctors, my heartiest thanks to you all to keep the sanctity of the profession alive.
