4509. A female Syrian hamster has bloody discharge and stops eating - open pyometra.

 

VET CASE STUDIES - Video 1/2. PYOMETRA IN HAMSTERS.
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow).

23 DEC 2022:
A Syrian Hamster loses appetite and passes reddish-brown discharge frequently. Last month, she had the same discharge and recovered after antibiotics.

The cause is the bacterial infection of the uterus or birth tubes. Pus is produced by the uterine lining. This pus plus blood is passed out as reddish-brown discharge onto the bedding, wetting the lower body hairs.

The solution to prevent a 3rd episode of discharge is to spay her when she is healthy after a course of antibiotics.

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UPDATE:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2022/12/4509-female-syrian-hamster-has-bloody.html

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Thur 22 Dec 2022. Tong Chit (tang yuan) festival.

The young lady owner in her late 20s came at 11 am
She showed me the hamster's lower part stained with sticky brown discharge.
Suddenly, her hamster released several ml of dark brown discharge.
"This type of discharge is typical colour of infection of the womb in the old female dog," I said to her. "Your hamster has open pyometra."

"What causes this discharge?" she asked.

1. Was it the food?  No.

2. Was it the bedding? No.

Hygiene of cage.
Sand bath to be disposed
Bedding to be changed daily. Soiled with bacteria.
One antibiotic injection SC plus oral for 10 days
Spay on day after normal appetite

 

 

 

 

 

[5:45 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: Good afternoon. How is your hamster now? Any brownish red discharge?
[5:47 pm, 23/12/2022] XX. Syrian. Pyometra .22 Dec 2022 Grab Admin. Pyometra 2nd Time: Hi Dr Sing, there is no discharge after the medication. She is slightly more active and the appetite is starting to improve. Thank you!
[5:49 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: When did the discharge stop? Before your oral medication this morning?
[5:50 pm, 23/12/2022] XX. Syrian. Pyometra .22 Dec 2022 Grab Admin. Pyometra 2nd Time: Yes, it stop yesterday
[5:51 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: I need to know about what time the discharge stopped as I had given the antibiotic injection and wish to record this effect
[5:52 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: No need to be exact time
[5:53 pm, 23/12/2022] XX. Syrian. Pyometra .22 Dec 2022 Grab Admin. Pyometra 2nd Time: Yesterday after the injection, i dont see any discharge anymore as i monitor her urination and bedding, it’s all clean
[5:53 pm, 23/12/2022] XX. Syrian. Pyometra .22 Dec 2022 Admin. Pyometra 2nd Time: Will this be a good sign that she wont need a surgery?

[6:16 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: 1. I gave an injectable antibiotic SC to eliminate the bacteria inside the womb faster. So you did not see any more discharge overnight as the bedding was free of discharge. Your hamster starts eating and is more active. Continue with the oral antibiotic for the next 10 days.

[6:18 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: 2. When your hamster is back to normal health, she will be active, eating, drinking, urinating and pooping as a normal healthy hamster. At that stage, you have to decide whether you want to take the risk of her being spayed (having her womb removed) by Toa Payoh Vets. If she is spayed, no more womb, so no more recurrence of brownish-red vaginal discharge.

[6:20 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: 3. If you do not wish to spay, expect another episode of pyometra (bacterial infection of the womb), loss of appetite (fever possibly) and similar reddish-brown discharge. Without treatment, she will die from toxaemia and bacteraemia with the passing of time.

[6:21 pm, 23/12/2022] David Sing: 4. The antibiotic may not be effective, owing to bacterial resistance to antibiotic

Oh i see, understand this. Nonetheless my main concern is the risk of the surgery and also the cost as it is pretty heavy for me and the hamster is rather old at 2years old