Content
- Can a neutered dog come into heat?
- castrated bitch with bleeding
- Remnant ovary syndrome in bitches
- Diagnosis of remnant ovary syndrome
- Remnant Ovarian Syndrome Treatment
- Prevention of remnant ovary syndrome in bitches
After the bitch is neutered, she doesn't come into heat anymore, or rather, she shouldn't! Sometimes, some tutors report that their bitch came into heat even after being neutered. If you came to this article because this is happening to your dog, you should read this article very carefully, because your dog may have a problem called ovary remnant syndrome.
You don't need to panic because the problem is solvable. In this article by PeritoAnimal we will explain why the castrated bitch goes into heat. Keep reading!
Can a neutered dog come into heat?
The most common methods of sterilization of bitches are ovariohysterectomy and ovariectomy. While in the first procedure the ovaries and uterine horns are removed, in the second only the ovaries are removed. Both methods are widely used in veterinary medicine and both use simple techniques and have few associated risks. Once sterilized, the bitch no longer goes into heat nor can she become pregnant.
If your dog is neutered and is showing symptoms of heat, you should see a veterinarian so he can diagnose the problem. One possibility is that your dog has the so-called remnant ovary syndrome or ovarian remainder syndrome, which we'll explain later in this article.
castrated bitch with bleeding
First of all, it is important to confirm that your dog is actually showing signs of heat. Let's remind you what the heat symptoms in bitches:
- Increased size in the vulva
- attracts males
- bloody discharge
- copulation attempts
- Excessive licking of the vulva
- Changes in behavior
If your dog has one or more of the above symptoms, she may have the ovarian rest syndrome, that this syndrome manifests itself through estrus-like symptoms. If it is just a castrated bitch with bleeding, it is important to mention that other diseases may cause this bleeding, such as pyometra and other problems of the reproductive or urinary system. Therefore, it is essential that your dog is seen by a veterinarian who can make a correct diagnosis and define an appropriate treatment.
Remnant ovary syndrome in bitches
Ovarian remnant syndrome is a problem that is more common in humans than in animals. Anyway there are several documented cases in both cats and bitches[1].
Also called ovarian rest syndrome, it is characterized by the presence of a fragment of ovarian tissue within the dog's abdominal cavity. That is, although the bitch has been neutered, a small piece of one of her ovaries was left behind. This section of ovary revascularizes and starts to function, causing estrus-like symptoms. Therefore, the remnant ovary syndrome symptoms are the same ones you would observe during estrus:
- vulva enlargement
- Changes in behavior
- copulation attempts
- interest in males
- bloody discharge
However, not all symptoms are always present. You will be able to observe only a few of them.
Remnant ovary syndrome considerably increases the risk of tumors and neoplasms. That is why it is extremely important that if your neutered dog comes into heat, you immediately visit a veterinarian so that he can diagnose and quickly intervene!
These are some of the most common problems consequences of remnant ovary syndrome:
- Granulosa cell tumors
- Uterine pyometra
- breast neoplasm
Diagnosis of remnant ovary syndrome
The veterinarian can use various methods to arrive at the diagnosis of this problem. He needs to rule out other possible diagnoses with similar symptoms, such as vaginitis, pyometra, neoplasms, hormonal problems, etc.
The use of pharmacology to treat urinary incontinence (diethylstibestrol medication) can cause symptoms similar to this syndrome, as well as the administration of exogenous estrogen. Therefore, never forget to give all the information to the veterinarian about any type of treatment that your dog has done or is undergoing.
The veterinarian, in order to reach a definitive diagnosis, performs a complete physical examination of the bitch, observes the clinical signs, which, as already mentioned, are similar to that of the bitch's estrus, and performs some tests.
The most common diagnostic tests are vaginal cytology (most used method), vaginoscopy, ultrasound and some hormonal tests. The choice of diagnostic method may vary from case to case.
Remnant Ovarian Syndrome Treatment
Pharmacological treatment is not recommended. It takes a surgical intervention so that the veterinarian can remove the section of ovary that is triggering these symptoms and that, as we have already mentioned, has several associated risks.
The most common surgery for remnant ovary syndrome is laparotomy. Your veterinarian will probably schedule surgery for when the dog is in estrus or diestrus because it is easier to visualize the tissue that needs to be removed. Most of the time, the ovarian section is inside the ovarian ligaments.
Prevention of remnant ovary syndrome in bitches
The only way to prevent this syndrome is through performing a good surgical technique sterilization, hence the importance of choosing a good professional.
Anyway, this problem can arise even if the veterinarian performs a perfect technique because sometimes, during embryonic development, the cells that generate the ovaries migrate to other places, away from the ovaries. These cells, when the bitch is an adult, can develop and generate this syndrome. In such cases, the veterinarian had no way of knowing that there was a small section of ovary elsewhere in the body away from the ovaries.
Anyway, the most common is that it was a problem resulting from the surgical technique and that a piece of ovary has been left behind or that it has fallen into the abdominal cavity. Even so, it is unfair for you to blame the veterinarian for this syndrome if you are not sure what happened.Always consult a professional to find out exactly what is going on.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to castrated bitch goes into heat, we recommend that you enter our Other health problems section.