We recently had a 9 year old female dog that was off colour and drinking a lot. She was off her food and had a dirty blood coloured discharge from her vulva. This was suspicious for a pyometra (infection of the uterus) but as the bitch had had 2 previous abdominal operations for removal of stones in the intestine, the owners were not keen to go for surgery to remove the infected uterus. We therefore put her on to a course of antibiotics to try to clear the infection.

This did not help and reluctantly the owners agreed to surgery as the animal was deteriorating. After putting intravenous fluids up to help the bitch through the anaesthetic and surgery, we started the operation. The infected uterus and one very enlarged cystic ovary were removed and before closing the skin incision, a check was made of the other internal organs.

This revealed a round, hard structure about 6cms in diameter in the stomache. This foreign body had to be removed and so a gastrotomy was performed. This "hole in the stomache" revealed a hard bouncy rubber ball that the animal had obviously swallowed at some stage. With the ball removed, the hole in the stomache was sutured closed as was the incision in the muscle and skin of the animal.

Intravenous fluid therapy was continued for 24 hours with nothing given orally to allow the stomache to start healing and the bitch is now beginning a period of recuperation.

The pyometra could have been prevented by spaying the bitch as a younger dog but the added problem of a swallowed foreign body could only have been prevented by constant vigilance of what she was picking up or playing with when out on walks or at home. This girl was a repeat offender from a point of swallowing things and seems to have continued the habit into her old age!