Effectiveness of a modified administration protocol for the medical treatment of canine pyometra

Abstract

Pyometra is one of the most common diseases in intact bitches. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a modified aglepristone protocol for the medical treatment of pyometra in the bitch. Of these, 73 bitches affected by pyometra of different breeds and age (2-14 years old) were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to a control group (CTG - 26 bitches) treated with classical protocol (aglepristone at 0, 1 and 6 days - day 0 = day of the diagnosis) and a modified treated group (MTG - 47 bitches) treated with a different administration protocol (aglepristone at 0, 2, 5 and 8 days). The classical protocol with the anti-progestagen aglepristone was effective in 88.5 % (23/26) of CTG bitches while the modified protocol was effective in all (47/47) of MTG bitches. One of the 23 CTG bitches received a further administration on day 14, which resolved the pyometra, while in the three cases of CTG bitches, in which the treatment was ineffective, an ovariohysterectomy was carried out. The modified protocol showed a success rate of 100 %, compared with the classical protocol proposed in the literature, and no recurrence of the disease was recorded in the 24 months follow up. After treatment, the oestrus onset was earlier than expected (interoestrus of 128 ± 32 days). In this study, the modified treatment protocol showed high efficacy and lack of recurrence within 24 months, suggesting a complete recovery of reproductive function in the bitch, with a normal fertility.

Canine Pyometra: Current Perspectives on Causes and Management – A Review

“…However, in recent times use of progesterone blockers such as mifepristone (Hoffman and Schuler, 2000) or aglepristone (Wehrend and Traschbostedt, 2003;Arnold et al, 2006) has proved better protocol of choice. Further Contri et al (2015) successfully used a protocol in which aglepristone combined with a short duration (6 days) antibiotic cover proved efficacious. Another recent protocol used for the treatment of pyometra is administration of third generation GnRH antagonist acyline @ 330 μg/ kg orally (single dose) with amoxicillin-clavulanate @ 12.5 mg/kg twice a day, orally for seven days provided promising results (Batista et al, 2016),…”

Canine pyometra: What is new?

“…As for medical treatment, a recently modified protocol in which aglepristone was more often administered in combination with a comparatively short period of antimicrobial therapy (6 days) was tried with promising results (Contri, Gloria, Carluccio, Pantaleo, & Robbe, ). The new protocol proved to be highly successful in 47 treated pyometra cases, and with no recurrence reported 2 years after treatment (Contri et al., ). The reason for the improved efficiency is not yet known, but higher tissue concentrations of aglepristone for a longer time could perhaps be an explanation.…”

Sterile Pyometra in Two Dogs

“…Pyometra is a uterine infection resulting from migration of bacteria from the vagina (6). The severity of clinical signs depends on whether the cervix is open enough to allow drainage of purulent fluid.…”

“…Depression, lethargy, vomiting, septicemia, toxemia, and shock are generally identified in cases of closed-cervix pyometra (1). Septicemia and toxemia are life-threatening conditions unless the source of the pathogens is promptly removed and appropriate antibiotics are administered (67). Therefore, surgical ovariohysterectomy followed by bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing is considered the most effective treatment.…”