Pyometra in a sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps): surgical treatment and postoperative complications

A 7-year-old female sugar glider showed a well-defined, homogeneous, hypoechoic mass in the caudal abdominal cavity on ultrasound. Exploratory laparotomy revealed both uteri were severely dilated by viscous, purulent exudate. The patient underwent ovariohysterectomy with removal of bilateral vaginal...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 2023, Vol.85(11), pp.1252-1256
Main Authors: KOIZUMI, Iori, OKUMURA, Naka, KONDO, Hirotaka
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Canals (anatomy)
Complications
lateral vaginal canal
Medical treatment
Metritis
ovariohysterectomy
Petaurus breviceps
Postoperative
pyometra
Sugar
sugar glider
Ureter
Vagina
Wildlife Science
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Summary:A 7-year-old female sugar glider showed a well-defined, homogeneous, hypoechoic mass in the caudal abdominal cavity on ultrasound. Exploratory laparotomy revealed both uteri were severely dilated by viscous, purulent exudate. The patient underwent ovariohysterectomy with removal of bilateral vaginal canals. Antibiotic therapy was initiated postoperatively. Histopathological findings were consistent with suppurative metritis, leading to a clinical diagnosis of pyometra. Despite abscess formation in the uterine stump or central vaginal canal and bilateral renal pelvic/ureter dilations postoperatively, the sugar glider survived more than 270 days. Unfortunately, surgical and medical treatments performed in this case did not prove curative. The outcome of this case highlights the importance of further accumulation of cases to define more appropriate therapies for pyometra in sugar gliders.
ISSN:0916-7250
1347-7439
DOI:10.1292/jvms.23-0117