1038. Follow-up: Pyometra Chihuahua

Jun 20, 2012

Phoned owner today. Excellent news.
Today is Day 6 after pyometra surgery to remove infectd womb on Junb 14, 2012

Eating well, everything OK, quite active.

The husband said: "Drinking a lot of water the last 2 days, but otherwise OK."
On Jun 17, complained of "bleeding" from operation, see image. I said it was due to the e-collar traumatising the right side of the surgical area but the owners insisted that the dog never did it.
"The dog does not do the scratching in front of the owner," I said. "The owner cannot be watching over the dog for 24 hours every minute of the day."

DAY OF SURGERY (Upper image)

2 DAYS AFTER SURGERY (Lower image)

I gave a very low dose of pred and the inflammation subsided satisfactory.

RETROSPECT
I should not have sent the dog home on the same day as surgery as pyometra is a big surgery. However, this dog ate and wagged her tail in the evening at 6 pm when I asked Dr Daniel to take her out for some sunshine, observation and photography. 



At home, she must have walked around and felt the itch and pain and used her e-collar to rub the surgical area. The e-collar reached the right flank and the sharp edge also nicked and lacerated the base of the nipple sharply. It is hard for the owners to believe what I said as they said the dog never attempted to do it (in their presence).