PYMETRA

[MARGARETG]

MY ENGLISH MASTIFF HAD EMERGENCY SURGERY FOR PYMETRA 2 WKS AGO
WHEN SHE WAS SENT HOME FROM THE VET AFTER THREE DAYS THEY SAID SHE STILL HAD SOME INFECTION IN HER BLOOD SO THEY GAVE HER A 7 DAY REGIMENT OF ANTIBOTICS. SINCE HER SURGERY SHE HAS LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT AND IS VERY PICKIE ABOUT HER FOOD SHELL EAT DRY FOOD ONLY IF YOU ADD CANNED WITH IT, WHICH I HAVE BEEN GIVING IN TO HER SO SHELL EAT BUT SHE HAS LOST ALOT OF MUSCLE MASS IN HER HIND LEGS AND IS A BAG OF BONES AND NOW SHES LIMPING ON HER REAR LEGS
LIKE THERE WEAK SHE PUTS BOTH O THE FLOOR BUT KIND OF BOUNCES THEM AROUND AND THEY APPEAR SHAKY... IS THIS DUE TO THE WEIGHT LOST AND JUST WEAKING OR SHOULD THEY CHECK FOR INFRCTION STILL? THE VET THAT DID THE SURGERY IS BEING OF LITTLE HELP IN THIS MATTER....

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Your dog would probably benefit a good Glucosamine and Chondroitin supplemant with perniculus muscle.  Ginger and garlic supplementation would also be helpful.  Rimadyl can be used long term as long as her liver enzymes are checked periodically.

[MARGARETG]

thank you, and yeah shes eating better too but here limping comes and goes and i to am believing its the weather and the dampness.....

[Jaybay]

Other than the limping, does she seem to be doing better?  Eating and drinking OK?  Showing interest in things?  The infection was the life-threatening thing to worry about, and like Dr. Cheng said before, it can really take a lot of time to recover.  Since she's been off her legs for a while, it's going to take even longer to get her muscles built back up to the point they can take some of the strain off those arthritic bones.  Steroids don't always show instant results either, so give it some time.  Poor thing, to have a major surgery like that and then have arthritis go south on her too.  Hang in there.  She seems to coming along - slow, but going the right direction.

[MARGARETG]

hi again...
our weahter here is a little crazy right now its warm 65 to 70 deg
the steroids she was on seemed to help until 10/17/07 and she started limping real bad not wanting to move only thing i can think of is arthritis cause the only change is it started clouding up and raining today
so confused and broke im not sure what to do

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

I hope all goes well with your dog.  If she is eating her dog food normally again she may not need the Centrum.  The Centrum would be a good addition to a home-made diet.  Let me know how she does!

[MARGARETG]

i did take her back to the vet i couldnt afford alot after the surgery done on emergency basis $1674.00
but the vet watched her walk and agreed she doesnt seem to have a lot of muscle mass in her back end and she has gained some weight back she up to 119.3 lbs and isnt throwinng up or diahriea
so she put her on a dog form of steriods and see if this helps, she doesnt seem in pain just her legs are wobblie she bounces fro, one leg to the other and she stiffens them up  lock shes locking them, like there week, but were going to try this and if we get no better results ill have to get blood work and  x rays
thank you for your input and i should  just buy centrum a to z i pill aday?

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Centrum Complete is a human vitamin supplement.  I recommend this one since your dog is a large breed and requires a human dose.   Rimadyl is a NSAID (non steroidal anti inflammatory) and can be used for joint pain or post surgical pain.  Pyometra surgery is very painful, and recovery can take a while.

[MARGARETG]

thank you for your help. well since ive asked shes had a few really good days, we have a fenced in yard but since her surgery after laying around with that for 5 days she hasnt been  doing as much so weve been taking her for walks to helpbuild her strenth and this seems to help plus shes looking alot better, right now after $1674.00 for the surgery i have to try all i can at home (she had a limp prior to the surgery and the vet gave rymadil ?(i hope I spelled that right) and it seem to help but its like she gets stiff from laying around and weak once were walking her limp is less and less and she gets up and moves around after we gwet back alot easier could she be getting stiff and sore from being weak from the infection and weight loss? her weight is getting better im feeding her dry dog food with canned mixed in three times a day..
and centrum  is that a vitamin ? ivr seem centrum complete is this what i need?

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

The surgery that your dog had is a serious one.  If your dog is not recovering she needs to be evaluated by a vet ASAP.  Get an appointment with another veterinarian if necessary.  She may need to have additional diagnostics performed such as a blood culture, CBC, Chemistry and abdominal X-Rays.  Additional treatment may be necessary, such as: a change of antibiotics, IV fluids, and analgesics for the pain and more if she has a secondary peritonitis.  

Please feed her as much canned food as she wants for now.  Canned food supplies more water and is easier to digest in the debilated patient.  She needs nutrition to recover.    I would also add a good human such as Centrum to her diet as well as 1000 mg. of vitamin C three times per day until you get her to the vet.  But let me reiterate:  Get her to a vet ASAP!