Comparative assessment of surgical and conservative methods of treatment of purulent endometritis in dogs

Abstract

The clinical manifestations of purulent endometritis (pyometra) in dogs are diverse and depend on the stage of the process and the degree of cervical openness. There are two main directions in the treatment of dogs with pyometra — operative and medical (conservative). Medical methods are considered organ-preserving and are used only in the case of an open form of pyometra (in animals with open cervix). Complications after conservative treatment include recurrence of the disease in the next estrous cycle. Despite the availability of both surgical and medical treatment methods, the choice of optimal tactics remains a matter of debate, especially in the treatment of breeding and rare animals. The aim of the work was to conduct a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of surgical and medical treatment methods of pyometra in dogs. 44 dogs participated in the study. The animals were divided into two groups. The criteria for the study included: confirmation of the diagnosis "purulent endometritis" based on physical examination, laboratory tests, and diagnostic imaging. The surgical treatment group included 34 dogs that underwent surgical treatment (ovariohysterectomy) after the initial diagnosis of purulent endometritis. The conservative treatment group included 10 dogs. who were treated with aglepristone (the commercial drug Alizin). Six dogs from this group were subsequently operated on due to a recurrence of pyometra. With medical treatment of purulent endometritis, complications occur five times more often than with surgical treatment. During the study, the complication rate was 30.0% for medical treatment and 5.9% for surgical treatment. Medical treatment can be recommended in breeding animals with open cervix and without other uterine and ovarian pathologies, or if dogs are contraindications to surgical treatment.