(i give massive kudos to the person(s) that shaved her legs in rather small patches instead of the normal surgery shave - (when almost the whole leg is completely shaved)

Pixie developed open pyometra and i had her spayed a month later after she fully recovered from it to remove any and all possibly of her coming down with closed pyometra in the future.

what pyometra is:
pyometra is a potentially life threating bacterial infection of the uterus that occurs after a intact female dog comes out of heat. it can happen a few days or even weeks after coming out of heat (with my dog it occurred right when all her ladyness areas returned to their usual sizes and was obvious she wasnt in heat anymore) which type of pyometra it is depends on if her cervix is open or if it is closed during the infection. with open pyometra the infection drains on its own and doesnt require surgery 'with veterinary care.' closed pyometra is when the infection doesnt drain at all and requires immediate emergency surgery. this type of surgery is 'very' delicate and challenging and there's a chance she will die during surgery and even if she survives the surgery she could still die.

if you suspect either type of pyometra with your dog the sooner you get her to the vet the better!


the signs and symptoms my dog showed:
some increased thirst
some increased urination
some vomiting
diarrhea in the morning thatd firm back up the rest of the day

the morning i took her to the emergency vet she squatted to pee and a x-amount of pee came out like normal but directly after that she squatted to pee so many times that i lost count. brought her back in the house and took a look at her butt end and that's when i seen blood tinged discharge dripping from her lady area and called the vet. while leaving a voice mail to the vet all she wanted to do was sleep. she wouldnt perk up for anything i tried or said and i couldnt get her to eat without a massive amount of coaxing and what few pieces of kibble i got her to eat she vomited back up right away and refused to eat again from that point on. while waiting for the vet to call me back i took her out again since she so urgently tried to pee before and all she did was stand in one place shaking like a leaf with her tail down and ears pinned back. like something hurt and moving around made it worse. we were already on the way when the vets called me back and said to bring her in right away

i at first thought she was eating and drinking a little too quickly to cause her to vomit on the two days she vomited(i offered her more food a few minutes later and she 'wanted' to eat both times and didnt vomit again and was her usual self for the rest of the day so i didnt get concerned - until the day i took her to vet- and the diarrhea from a upset tummy from the vomiting. the increase in thirst due to the warmer weather and more play sessions and increased urination due to drinking more - except for the last day when she squat-master pro

dont down play any symptoms like my dumb butted self did. had it been closed pyro i might have lost her... :(
if i get a intact female dog in the future i will have her spayed to prevent either type of this nastiness from happening to her

before anyone Judge Judy's out on me (stereo type all owners who havent sterilized their adult pet(s) as irresponsible) i chose not to spay my dog cuz shes 'always' under my supervision while outside and i do not live with or know anyone that has any intact male dogs. so the whole 'control the pet population' wasnt a reason for me to have her spayed.


before surgery tips:
depending on your dog it might be a good idea for you to get a cone collar or make one yourself and have your dog wear it before surgery to make sure it fits and get them used to it


my dog didnt need it but i made her one for just incase out of my old hat. she didnt mind it but wasnt a fan of it either

clean all your flooring and dont forget under the furniture and beind and under the couch if youre not going to crate your dog while they heal. i put down training pads over the top of some newspapers (in case they didnt work as advertised and she have an accident from after anesthesia-queasys) and tied her to a shelf in my room to keep her contained on a cleaner surface than on my old carpet that's very much seen better days over the years. i also got her a brand new soft bed so she had the choice of laying on the floor or the bed

if you are crating your dog or just having them ride in it for the trip there and back make sure your pets carrier and whatever items you pet lays on is clean if theyre going in for any type of surgery even directly 'after' you drop them off. it rained the day before i and when i took her out to do her pottying right before we headed to the vets her paws picked up a bunch of tiny bark particles that went unnoticed. much to my surprise when i got home and let her out of her crate her chest and belly was coated in tiny black bark particles. i at first was angry at everyone at my vets and than realized it was my responsibly and lack of foresight not theirs.... lol i should have wiped her paws off on a paper towel or such before leaving to make diddly sure no junk got stuck to her

bathe your dog a day or two days before the surgery. you wont be able to for at least two weeks so may as well do it while you can

things to know before getting your dog spayed:

some female dogs lay in one place and whine and shake in pain for the first 24 hours after being spayed despite being on pain medication. i guarantee youll feel like the biggest piece of trash to ever to exist on the planet if this happens but all of this is normal so try not to be too hard on yourself. the next day she will stop whining and be more of herself ('if' shes still whining in pain the next day consult your vet)

her personality might change during the recovery process. with Pixie she was slightly touch sensitive when i first brought her home and would flinch upon me touching her. with being extra gentle and giving her space she seeked me out for cuddles once she realized she was safe and wasnt going back to 'that place'

keep your dog warm. i dont think she would have slept at all the first night. every time i woke up to check on her she was shaking like a leaf like she was cold or maybe in pain so i let her sleep with me in my bed dispte there being hardly room enough for us both. almost right away she stopped shaking and i heard soft little snores and felt her feets twitching against my my arm and stomach. i however didnt sleep at all always worrying about smooshng her in my sleep but after a couple of days i got used to it. once she fully healed i made her sleep on the floor in her own bed

there's higher risk for hip dysplasia and certain cancers in spayed or nurtured dogs. especially in puppies that are going to be extra large in size as an adult that are desexed too early in their life. (before the sex hormones have had a chance to tell the growth plates to stop growing and to close) - in some breeds and mix breeds that can be up to 3 years later before their skeleton stops growing

can cause incontinence and be more prone to UTI

can change your dogs body where he or she will be more mustly in some areas that they werent before

also longhaired dogs coats are usually affected in some way after being sterilized; where the dog grows a much thicker coat which can change the texture and the dog’s ability to regulate their body temperature. or they do the opposite and shed non stop and lose most or all their coat which may or may not be permanent. with Pixie she shedded most of her coat to the point she reminded me of how she looked when she was puppy before her coat came in.

see what i mean. look at that tail! it used to be long and flowing and thick. not look like a wet or plucked on feather lol her mane is pretty nonexistent too. she also lost most of what i like to call her skirt (pants in show dog terms) to not even a handful left on either side



now though.... this girl has three times thicker coat to the point her cow licks have cow licks and she has a permanent corgi looking puff of fluff back there for a skirt now lol















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below is the healing process. if you dont want to see such images stop here

















due to her being 10 years old when she was spayed her healing time was majorly delayed. most dogs heal from sterilization surgery within 10-14 days. Pixie took almost a whole year to fully heal even with change of diet and vitamins. had i known of pyometra i would of had her spayed when she officially became my dog at 3 years old ~;when my mom gave her to me;~ but well.... i didnt know. live and learn i guess




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