Immune Netw.  2017 Apr;17(2):128-131. 10.4110/in.2017.17.2.128.

Sterile Pyometra in Two Dogs

• Yoon HY
• Byun JY
• Park KH
• Min BS
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2376871
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4110/in.2017.17.2.128

Abstract

Two young dogs were referred to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Konkuk University, one for examination of vaginal discharge and the other after being hit by a car. Dog 1 exhibited a high neutrophil count on Gram-stained vaginal smears, marked leukocytosis on a complete blood count, and uterine enlargement on ultrasonography. In dog 2, a markedly enlarged right uterine horn containing echogenic debris was found incidentally on ultrasonography. A tentative diagnosis of pyometra was made in both cases and ovariohysterectomy was performed. Purulent material was collected from each uterine horn and submitted separately for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture; all culture results were negative. The white blood cell count revealed normal limits 2 days post operation in dog 1 and 4 days post operation in dog 2. Positive bacterial cultures are usually obtained from dogs with pyometra, and antibiotic selection is based on the results of culture and sensitivity testing in the event of failure of empiric antibiotic therapy. However, in the cases reported here, no bacterial growth was identified from the uterine samples despite the presence of purulent material. A short course of empiric antibiotic therapy was administered. This is the first known report describing sterile pyometra in dogs.

Keyword

Sterile pyometra; Sterile bacterial culture; Ovariohysterectomy; Dog

MeSH Terms

Animals
Blood Cell Count
Diagnosis
Dogs*
Horns
Hospitals, Teaching
Leukocyte Count
Leukocytosis
Neutrophils
Pyometra*
Ultrasonography
Vaginal Discharge
Vaginal Smears

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Postoperative image of uterine horns distended with purulent material.

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