# Pyometra in female rats



## blade100

i just wanted to raise awareness in female rats as regards to pyometra.

i have a female gambian pouched rat and she has it.
she has the CLOSED TYPE of pyometra so it goes undetected untill its critical and so she has to go in for an operation to remove all her uterus etc.
she is very very weak and poorly at the minute and is on bayrtil so hopefully she will perk up in the nxt 24hours to have the op.

she has been off her dry mix and her fruit and veg so we have been feeding her baby food and she actually eats it.

after having the anti-inflammatory injection it has perked her up a little and she is currently wrapped in a blanket on the sofa with me.

she has a very low body temp and the vet has said her uterus is the size of his middle finger

so here are some important links for people with small female rodents so please note its not just dogs and cats that can get it but also rodents and rabbits.

Pyometra in hamsters

Rat Health UK


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## blade100

i was wondering could this thread be sticked as its something that all owners need to be aware of if they have female rodents.

i feel this thread will get pushed to the bottom and forgot about and i never knew any of this up untill now!


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## LostGirl

I never knew that either! 

Defo something that should be sticky!


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## simplysardonic

I agree, good idea to have a sticky, I didn't realise rats could get pyo until recently, I think, though I could be wrong, it was Ceretrea on here, if so I'll message her on Facebook & see if she would share her experiences on this thread
I hope your pouchie gets well soon Blade xx


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## blade100

Pyometra is an infection of the uterus that can can cause the uterus to become full of pus. This can affect a female whether she is used for breeding or not. There are 2 types of Pyometra:

Open Pyometra - This is where the infection has happened at around the same time that the female is going through her estrogen cycle and her cervix is open which then allows any infection to drain out of the body.

Closed Pyometra - This is the more serious of the 2 and can result in the loss of life as it can go for some time un-noticed.
This happens due to the cervix being closed preventing any infection from draining away causing pus to fill the uterus. This in turn will cause the abdomen to swell quite considerably.
Closed Pyometra can be very difficult to diagnose until it is in its advanced stages as there is very little discharge if not any from the vulva.

Symptoms can include:
Loss of appetite
Weight loss 
Lethargy
Normal, increased or decreased body temperature
Excessive thirst
Excessive urination
Swollen abdomen
Dehydration

Toxins and other bacteria can leak through the uterine walls and into the bloodstream causing other complications such as Sepsis better known as blood poisoning. This can happen in both open and closed Pyometra and in turn can cause other vital organs from working properly for example the liver may not be able to filter the toxins sufficently causing toxins to build up in the blood and eventually the brain.

Affects of toxin build up can include: 
Neglect of appearance 
Unresponsiveness
Irritability
A refusal to eat and drink
Loss of balance
Stumbling
Shaking
Coma
Death

If treatment is not sought after in time the uterus may eventually rupture cauing the infection to escape into the abdomen resulting in peritonitis. 

Treatment for this has a high success rate in other animals but does usually involve the female being spayed removing the uterus and the infection completely. The female will then be put on a course of pain relief while she recovers usually metacam.

I hope you find this interesting to read and please feel free to pass this information on to other pouched rat owners as i believe this is something that everyone needs to be made aware of as still there is so little known about health issues in pouched rats.


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## Petitepuppet

Fingers crossed this gets made a sticky!

My Dappy had pyo and had to be spayed. Just lucky we got it in time...


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## trekky

Have also added this info to the main UKpouchies website as well Amy 

UKpouchies - News


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## blade100

That's brill the more it's made aware the better.
Sorry to hear your little one had it too but good job u caught it in time.


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## Petitepuppet

blade100 said:


> That's brill the more it's made aware the better.
> Sorry to hear your little one had it too but good job u caught it in time.


Dappy made a speedy recovery after her op and is super fit for her age. Wishing the best of luck for Queenie xxx


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## ceretrea

Hi

Recently had a female fancy rat with this. She was only around 6 months old at the time. Another symptom of pyo in female rats is bleeding from the vulva. I see so many threads on the rat forums asking "Do rats have periods". The answer is no, definitely not. As someone who had only had bucks or spayed females I was also new to this and wondered myself so I think its one symptom that should be big on the list, although apparently only occurs with an open pyometra. She had NO other symptoms. I want to let people know that, she was otherwise as bouncy as normal, eating and drinking normally. There was no pus, no swelling just blood. She was very lucky that we checked and got her in so quickly.

She had a course of baytril for 7 days and on day 10 was spayed. Unless its an emergency they prefer to operate when the infection is cleared as the blood vessels are dilated and bleeding is more likely to occur during surgery.

We nearly lost her as she is so small and having been ill but keeping her body temperature up was what saved her. Our beloved heat mat came in very handy again. Blossom is doing very well  I would recommend having your female rats spayed as a matter of course as in dogs and cats to prevent pyometra and mammary tumours in later life.

We also had a Syrian hamster spayed due to an open pyometra. She lived on til just over 2 years old. Kasala had pus, was lethargic and very wobbly. Due to her age it was easily mistaken for arthritis initially, prior to there being pus. She was very ill with it. Again she had a course of baytril and then the operation. Afterwards she was like a new hamster, swinging from the bars like a young girl.

Hope that helps others.


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## zany_toon

Definitely think this should be made into a sticky  I think there have been a few people with small animals recently that have developed pyometra - if I remember correctly there was a hamster not that long ago as well?


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## ceretrea

zany_toon said:


> Definitely think this should be made into a sticky  I think there have been a few people with small animals recently that have developed pyometra - if I remember correctly there was a hamster not that long ago as well?


Yes there was, and myself and a couple other people replied on how to proceed for her too. I'm surprised there isn't more info to be honest.


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## blade100

Who's the mod for small animal section?


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## blade100

queenie has gone in for her spey today,got to ring at 1pm to see if all went well.


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## thedogsmother

blade100 said:


> queenie has gone in for her spey today,got to ring at 1pm to see if all went well.


Good Luck Queenie, hope everything goes well Blade.


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## blade100

thank you tdm x


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## Guest

I never knew female rats could get pyo and I have 4 of them so I am glad I have come accross this thread. I hope your Rattie girl is feeling better real soon and the op goes well x


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## LostGirl

Good luck to queenie x


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## blade100

Queenie my Gambian pouched rat died today the op went well but it was the anaesthetic that killed her.
I am a right mess I feel numb inside its bad enough losing a fancy rat but a Gambian is much much worse.


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## blade100

I'm on my way with hubby to collect her and burie her in our garden.
We are going to get her a nice plaque to go on her grave.


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## LostGirl

Oh god I am so sorry she didn't make it  

Rest in peace queenie and massive hugs to you xx


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## ceretrea

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that


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## SophieCyde

I'm so so sorry she didn't make it 

r.i.p queenie :crying:

Thanks for the information , didn't know that , at least it may help others in the future

*hugs*
xx


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## simplysardonic

Oh no
I'm so so sorry, poor Queenie:crying:


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## blade100

my big girlie as i knew her rest in peace sweetheart.


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## thedogsmother

Oh Blade Im really so sorry to read this, I started searching for this thread as soon as I came home and I was sure she was going to be fine, Im just so sorry that she wasnt. Im going to miss hearing about her and seeing her pics and I cant imagine what youre going through right now, I wish there was something I could say to make it better but all I can do is send (((hugs))).


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## blade100

Thank you for all your kind words.
We too thought she would be fine.
It sounds silly but she was like a daughter to me, not having kids and all she was my child as is my gsd and fancy rats.

Me and queenie had such a close bond.
I loved her so much.


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## zany_toon

Oh no hun  I only just reread this post just now  I'm so sorry that Queenie didn't make it  It doesn't seem like that long ago that you were talking about going and getting her and how much you were spoiling your baby  *hugs*


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## Jarhead

Oh blade I am so sorry. I thought Queen was lovely, I showed everyone her picture. I would have wished her luck but I just caught onto that thread. Sorry for being rubbish wish I could have been there for you both. Thats so sad she obviously wasyour bestest cuddly friend.

I am impressed that you are trying to let others know about the illness. My mum has dogs and worries about it. But then my mum freaks when they are in a foot of water so its hard to know what to watch for. I didnt know it was a rodent thing too.

Run free Queenie. Big hugs Blade


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## Tapir

I can't believe I have only just seen this  This is awful news, I am so so sorry for you loss. Rest in peace Queenie


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## blade100

Thank u Annie


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