One of the serious and, unfortunately, common diseases is endometritis in dogs. If you notice that your dog is depressed, experiencing increased thirst, does not eat, is concerned about pain and discharge from the genitals, do not try to treat it yourself. Go to the veterinary clinic immediately. You may have encountered signs of endometritis in dogs - a serious, sometimes life-threatening animal disease.
In this case, specialist advice is required. Only an experienced veterinarian is able to timely diagnose this disease and prescribe the necessary treatment.
The pathogenesis of endometritis in dogs
If the patient’s body defenses are preserved, then the focus of inflammation is surrounded by a granulation shaft, the so-called leukocyte barrier, which prevents the penetration of microbes that enter the uterus into the depths of its tissues. In this case, the inflammatory process is localized mainly in the surface layers of the mucosa and does not spread further. The disease proceeds in a relatively mild form - in the form of catarrhal endometritis. Inflammation in the uterus is accompanied by hyperemia and swelling of the uterine mucosa, as well as the accumulation of inflammatory exudate in its cavity.
With purulent catarrhal endometritis, in addition to hyperemia, hemorrhages appear on the mucous membrane, which can be of different sizes, small sores are not uncommon. If the resistance of the animal’s body is weakened, and the microorganism that has got into the uterus is especially active, the granulation shaft of leukocytes does not have time to form, and even if this happens, it cannot retain microbes and their toxins, which will provoke them into the deep layers of the uterus.
In this situation, the inflammatory process that occurs in the uterus affects not only the mucosa, it quickly spreads to the serous membrane of the uterus and muscle layers.
Causes of the disease
Veterinarians believe that the most common cause of endometritis in dogs is hormonal disorder. Such an imbalance adversely affects the entire body of the animal, including thickening of the walls of the uterus and the accumulation of an excessive amount of secretion. Against this background, purulent endometritis in a dog is often diagnosed.
Hormonal malfunctions can cause various causes. In dogs, they are often provoked by a false pregnancy. The animal displays all the signs of conception: an enlarged abdomen, swollen nipples, weight gain, and even the appearance of milk, and examination reveals that the pregnancy did not occur. False pregnancy can be diagnosed in both giving birth and dogs that do not have such an experience.
Hormonal disruptions can cause puberty of the dog, often they appear due to a hereditary predisposition. Symptoms of endometritis in dogs often appear after various diseases of the genitourinary system and genitals.
Endometritis after childbirth
Postpartum endometritis is widespread in dogs. The animal is at risk when carrying very large puppies, since there is a great chance of tearing. When a puppy dies in the womb, the fetal tissues decompose, bacteria actively multiply, which cause inflammation. Against this background, endometritis in dogs is extremely difficult.
There are situations when there is no time left to wait for a veterinarian to help with childbirth. The owner decides to help his pet and pulls out the puppies with his hands. Infection is practically guaranteed if such a procedure is carried out without prior disinfection of hands and gloves. When the uterus ruptures or vaginal microtraumas, bacteria can enter the body and cause endometritis in the dog through the fault of the owner, who does not have basic knowledge in obstetrics.
Clinical picture
Postpartum endometritis occurs in animals 2-5 days after birth. With a mild course of the disease, the general condition of the dog remains, as a rule, unchanged. With the intensive development of inflammation during a clinical examination, the veterinarian notes in a sick animal an increase in body temperature, a depressed state, a decrease or complete lack of appetite, and milk secretion decreases. Mucopurulent or mucous exudate is secreted from the genitals. The more fluid it is, the more rapidly the inflammatory process develops in the dog.
With fibrinous endometritis in dogs, the symptoms change slightly - the discharge becomes yellow-brown with flakes of fibrin. With necrotic - red with an admixture of tiny masses, with gangrenous - brown-red, and sometimes black in color with an extremely unpleasant odor. A large amount of exudate, as a rule, owners find in the morning in the places where the animal was lying.
How is endometritis manifested in dogs?
Symptoms of the disease appear 3-5 days after infection. Sometimes the incubation period lasts up to 7 days. Quite often, endometritis has mild symptoms and can not be noticed for a long time. There are two forms of the disease:
Acute endometritis most often develops after childbirth. It has pronounced symptoms that cannot be overlooked:
- the animal becomes lethargic, apathetic, does not want to move;
- serous masses sometimes with purulent impurities are secreted from the genitals;
- body temperature rises;
- in some cases, vomiting occurs;
- thirsty dog due to a large loss of fluid;
- frequent urination.
Untimely treatment of endometritis in dogs can cause hair loss, hyperpigmentation is observed - this is a consequence of hormonal failures.
Chronic endometritis
The chronic form is possible only if the dog was not treated when the disease was in acute form. In addition, it can occur against a background of hormonal imbalance. The main symptoms include:
- violation of the duration and time intervals between estrus;
- weight loss;
- the birth of non-viable puppies - they often die immediately after birth;
- the possibility of developing infertility.
Similar symptoms are characteristic not only for chronic endometritis, but also for other diseases of the genital area in dogs. Therefore, in case of any suspicion of a health problem, you should not waste time - the sooner you seek advice from a veterinary clinic, the higher the chance to cure the animal without complications.
Purulent endometritis
Pyometra (purulent endometritis) is the most dangerous course of the disease for the dog. The cervix becomes thicker, and therefore pus formed due to the ingress of microorganisms does not find a way out and remains inside the uterine cavity. Under the pressure of its large amount, the uterus grows in size. This can cause serious consequences:
- uterine rupture;
- inflammation and infection of the abdominal cavity;
- sepsis (general infection).
The pyometer has a number of characteristic symptoms. The veterinarian begins treatment of endometritis in dogs (purulent) with a survey of the owner of the animal. It is necessary to tell the veterinarian as detailed as possible about how the disease began, and describe the behavior of the animal. With purulent endometritis, the dog rises sharply to very high values, the dog groans. Groping the stomach, the specialist notes that the uterus is greatly enlarged to unnatural sizes. The dog loses weight, the stomach continues to grow.
Diagnostics
Owners of animals who came to the clinic with a similar problem to their pets note that the veterinarian first collects an anamnesis based on information received from the owner. He will be interested in the following data:
- symptoms of the disease at the time of going to the clinic;
- how estrus and pregnancy go, the number of births, their course and outcome.
The veterinarian will need to talk about the nature of the discharge of the animal (frequency, consistency, color). After the conversation, the doctor examines the animal, measures body temperature, examines the condition of the mucous membranes, probes the abdominal cavity. The walls of the vagina are checked. Already at this stage, the specialist makes a preliminary diagnosis. To confirm it, the dog must undergo further research: ultrasound diagnostics, during which the uterus is examined with a sensor, the presence of neoplasms (cysts, tumors) is detected. Be sure to take a blood and urine test. This allows you to assess the general condition of the animal, identify the inflammatory process, evaluate the work of the urinary system.
In case of heart rhythm disturbance, the dog will be sent to the EGC, where she will be given an accurate diagnosis. In some cases, a chest x-ray may be required. Having collected all the research results, the veterinarian makes the final diagnosis.
Treatment
If the dog was tormented by vomiting, the veterinarian first prescribes drugs that are aimed at restoring the water-salt balance in order to prevent dehydration. At high temperatures, antipyretic drugs are used. Dog endometritis is treated with antibiotics in a 10-day course. If the drug prescribed by the doctor does not give the desired effect, bacteriological culture is carried out.
Surgical intervention
It is indicated in the most severe cases. During the operation, the uterus, and sometimes the appendages, is removed. This method is resorted to when there is a high risk, due to accumulated pus, rupture of the uterus and death of the animal. After the operation, the dog should be in the clinic for some time to monitor its condition. The doctor prescribes a postoperative course of antibiotic treatment to reduce the risk of reinfection.
Prevention
Pet owners need to be aware of the symptoms of endometritis in dogs. And treatment of animals must be carried out by experienced professionals in a clinical setting. But as you know, the disease is easier to prevent than to treat it later. Endometritis in this sense is no exception.
Preventive measures in many cases can prevent the development of severe inflammation of the endometrium. Since the disease often occurs as a result of hormonal failure, you should carefully consider your pet's health - do not ignore preventive examinations in the clinic, follow all the recommendations of the veterinarian.
When the first alarming symptoms appear, you should immediately seek help from a specialist. Today you can invite a veterinarian to your home, and if during a visual examination of the dog he considers your suspicions to be justified, then a further examination will be carried out in a clinical setting.
If you plan to get offspring from your dog, do not let this process go by its own accord - the pregnancy of the animal must be controlled. It is advisable to do pelvic ultrasound in the early stages to exclude a false pregnancy. This condition must be treated, because with it the risk of developing endometritis increases many times.
It is very important to prepare and take into account all non-standard situations during childbirth. Ideally, you should invite a veterinarian to your home to help your pet. If for some reason the owner of the animal has to provide obstetric care himself, it is necessary to use hygienic gloves, antiseptic agents (Chlorhexidine or Miramistin). It is necessary to act carefully, in order to avoid ruptures of the vagina or cervix.
If the owner provided assistance on his own, the dog must be shown to the veterinarian as soon as possible so that he confirms that the delivery was completed without complications. Many owners do not pay proper attention to dog hygiene, and this is their biggest mistake. It is necessary to regularly wash the dog, if possible, to exclude communication with unhealthy animals, carefully take care of the coat.