Time and Tide

Yesterday Twiggy did not want to eat her breakfast, which is unusual for her, and she seemed to be drinking more than usual. I took her temperature and it was normal, so I decided just to keep an eye on her. She ate her dinner that evening. This morning, she again did not want her breakfast, and had some snotty stuff with a slightly pinkish colour hanging out of her vulva, which disappeared after she had been out for a wee. I took her temperature again and it was normal. Later on she was wet around the backside, but there was no odour and her temperature was still normal. She was lying on a dog bed in the study and I was about to ring the vet when I noticed a sudden smell like amniotic fluid (which is what I assume to be responsible for the characteristic smell when bitches whelp and eggs hatch), and got her up to discover the bed underneath her was all wet.

I rushed Twiggy to the vet, and while stroking her in the foyer noticed that she suddenly seemed hot. When the vet took her temperature, it had shot up to 41.2. An ultrasound showed her uterus was full of pus, and as it was at once apparent she had developed pyometra, I told the vet to spay her immediately. So Twiggy has now been spayed and will be staying at the vet overnight. The vet said the pyometra was caught in time and her uterus has not ruptured, so fortunately it is very likely she will make a full recovery.

Sadly this of course also eliminates any chance of any more puppies from Twiggy. She was so far as I am aware the last remaining breedable bitch from the older Canen bloodlines. Unfortunately her biological clock has run out, and we hope Twiggy will soon be coming home to enjoy her retirement.