Trouble for Tilly!!!

Following a recent season Tilly started to become very unwell. She had lost a lot of weight and was very depressed. Tilly’s owners brought her to us here at Moy Vets and after a thorough examination we suspected that her uterus was the cause of Tillys sickness. Blood tests and an ultrasound of Tilly’s tummy confirmed our diagnosis of Pyometra. Tilly also had developed a small hard nodule around one of her nipples which was thought to be the start of  a mammary gland cancer.

In order to make Tilly well again she had to undergo an hour long surgery where her diseased uterus and ovaries were removed. The small nodule on her mammary gland was also removed.  Intravenous fluids were used to support Tilly through the procedure which was a complete success. Tilly has gone on to make an excellent recovery from her ordeal and is back playing with her playmate, Scooby Do!

Pyometras( womb infections) and mammary cancer are, unfortunately, a common occurrence in bitches that have not been speyed or neutered. The incidence greatly increases with age and the number of seasons. Both conditions require surgery to treat and such surgery carries with it a high risk in these geriatric patients. However, with great care and treatment it is possible to have an excellent outcome, such as with Tilly.

Neutering all females after their first season or after breeding is finished will completely eliminate the chance of a pyometra and greatly reduce the chances of breast cancer ...  So don’t just think about it, do it and you won’t have to go through what Tilly and her family have had to!