[FEL-L] Re: Felines-L Digest, Vol 9, Issue 7

[Prometheus Horse]

Actually Vulvar Pyoderma is a factor in overweight spayed bitches, bitches spayed prior to sexual maturity (and thus have a smaller vulva) as well as incontinent bitches (which can be a result of alteration at any age). And just to note, there is no differentiation between open-cervix pyoderma (which can be treated with antibiotics and massaging the exudate out) and closed-cervix pyoderma, which is fatal if left undiagnosed (as in the case of a lioness in a zoological park... couple years ago perhaps, if I remember right. Tim Stoffel probably knows the case details right off). Closed-cervix pyoderma is easily diagnosed, but unless a pet owner is familiar with how their female feels all over normally, they wouldn't notice the increased abdominal swelling, and can easily miss the general lethargy and increased water consumption if they're not attentive. With open-cervix pyoderma (which I have significant experience with in one of my females) there's exudate that usually comes
 out in blorts as the uterus clears itself, or through massage-prompted clearing (along with prescribed antibiotics). Actually, I'm going to go out on a limb here and openly state that in otherwise-healthy female dogs, a mild case of open-cervix pyoderma can be treated by manual evacuation/massage alone without substantial antibiotics IF the animal shows improvement within 3 days. The body's immune system CAN work as it should, and just sometimes needs a little help.
   
  And as far as mammary cancer, I'd like to see a recent study of the percentage of incidents of malignant cancers related to the reproductive systems in canids. To my knowledge there's no substantial studies in the matter done since the 1960s, when we were still using a number of known carcinogens just in household cleaning products and pesticides.
   
  And one note... dogs that have a predilection to roaming/wandering/exploring will continue to do so even after alteration. One of the worst "explorer" dogs I've ever owned was a neutered male... and he actually died from complications of being hit by a car that were exacerbated by the side-effects of his being neutered. Long story short is his battered kidneys shut down cuz it was painful to urinate "gravel" through his smaller-diameter urethra (which was a result of lack of adult-level hormones) in addition to the pain from his broken pelvis (even when moved about in a hip-sling).

  Just thought I'd share, but thank you for the study information. Also, it would be beneficial to know whether the dogs that were HBC in the study had been contained in any manner or were "voice controlled" or presumed they'd just hang around homes, much as farm-dogs in America are only minimally contained. Containment measures in and of itself affects the number of HBC cases regardless of location studied. Also would like to know the number "sampled" to see if it's a relatively-large number and/or creates a reasonable population sample as a whole.
   
  Tim Fuller
   
  
Kristin Filseth <kfilseth at rockbridge.net> wrote:
  Hi,

About 85% of pet cats and 70% of pet dogs in the US are spayed or neutered
according to a recent survey, in the US it is considered the socially
responsible thing to do unless the animal will be bred on purpose.

In Sweden a study of the cause of death in dogs was done. Interestingly in
Sweden it is not culturally ingrained to spay and neuter and the data from
the late 90s suggests that most (like 90%) of dogs were not spayed or
neutered. Look at the death rate by hit by car. And look at the percent of
dogs that died of pyometra. 2-3 out of every hundred female dogs died of
pyometra. 13 out of every hundred dogs died being hit by a car or other
vehicle.... that's a huge number!! Quite a few dogs just disappear. Intact
dogs really do roam whenever they can get a chance and females really can
get serious reproductive problems. And its not like Sweden is some third
world country where packs of dogs sit like ducks on the roads.

I'm not saying spay/neuter is the right choice for every dog. Yes spay and
neuter has its own risks. Personally I feel it should be left up to the
individual owner except perhaps in urban areas where people do already in
general sacrifice many of their wishes for the public benefit (having loud
parties without a permit, owning roosters, keeping bee-hives, smoking most
places, etc). However, to cite something like urine scald (which I'm trying
to recall but I'm thinking is only at increased risk in Early-spayed dogs ie
under 10 weeks or so, so a reference would be very nice here) as a reason to
not spay, when the same dogs might actually die from pyometra or mammary
cancer, well that just seems preposterous to me personally.

Swedish dog deaths:

Death, hit by vehicle: 13.5%
Tumors/cancer: 16%
Joint disease or other locomotor, put to sleep for: 10%
Lost: 3%
Death from pyometra: 2.5 %
No diagnosis: 8%
other: the rest
Reference: Bonnet, BN. Vet Rec. (1997) 141, 40-44

Thanks,

Kristin

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