Canine Pyometra: microbiological diagnosis and therapy

Abstract

Pyometra is a common illness in adult intact female dogs and cats and a less frequent diagnosis in other small animal species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbial flora isolated from uterine exudates of bitches suffering from pyometra and test their susceptibility to antibiotics in dogs presented to a clinic in North Rhine-Westphalia region, Germany. Between February and September 2018, a total of 40 dogs suffering from pyometra were included in this study. Cotton swabs were used to collect pus from the uterus. The identification of bacteria was possible using MALDI-TOF MS device, in a private clinic from Germany. The susceptibility to antibiotics was evaluated using Kirby- Bauer disk diffusion test. The results demonstrated that Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated bacteria, present in 28 from 40 samples (70%), followed by Streptococcus sp. in 5 samples (12.5%), Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in 3 samples (7.5%), Enterococcus sp. and Pasteurella multocida, each in 2 samples (5%) and Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas putida, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophylus hemoglobinophylus, Acinetobacter pittii, Pseudomonas koreensis and Enterobacter cloacae, each in 1 sample (2.5%). Regarding antibiotic susceptibility, the most efficient antibiotics were represented by Marbofloxacin, Enrofloxacin Doxycycline and Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, while the least efficient were Penicillin G and Clindamycin.