Treatment of a Recurrent Pyometra by Surgical Uterine Drainage in a Main Coon Cat

Pyometra is a uterine disease typical of the luteal phase of the estrus cycle. For selected patients, such as breeding subjects, ovariohysterectomy is not a valid resolutive option. Medical treatments involving cloprostenol and aglepristone have been developed for the cats, but they can be ineffective in rare cases. Transcervical drainage and flushing have been described for the dogs, as well as for large wild cats. However, to the author's knowledge, there are no report of uterine drainage in cats. The present case describes an alternative treatment of pyometra in a 3-year-old Main Coon previously treated with aglepristone. The patient underwent a laparotomy: the uterus was exposed, and a sterile urinary catheter was inserted into each horn, through the wall of the uterus, to allow the drainage of pathological collection and a subsequent lavage with lukewarm sterile saline. Medical treatment with aglepristone and marbofloxacin was associated. After treatment, no recurrence was reported, and the cat had an uneventful pregnancy. Although it is a unique case report, the results presented are promising, as the technique appears to have provided healing and preserved fertility. Further studies are needed to confirm its efficacy in the long-term prevention of recurrence.