Pyometra in a bitch following unusual sterilisation

A female, stray crossbreed dog, approximately four years old, was presented for routine spaying during a charity neutering programme in Romania. On clinical examination the bitch was lethargic and pyrexic (40.6 degrees C), but no other signs of illness were detected. Laparotomy revealed an enlarged uterus, severed at the cervix, with no communication to the vagina. Abdominal inspection showed an apparently normal, ligated vaginal stump. An ovariohysterectomy was performed and the dog was treated with a seven-day course of netilmicine. It subsequently made a full recovery.