Case 1:
False Pregnancy in a Chihuahua
Case was recorded in 30 January 2002

"My friend gave me this Chihuahua saying that she had been neutered," said Ms Fuchs. "Can I can a spay certificate from you before I get a dog licence?"  Ms Fuchs showed me the nylon stitches protruding from a small lump under the umbilical area of the bitch.

Ms Fuchs continued:  "She was definitely spayed.  My friend who was given the dog by her boss. She said that her veterinarian had felt a row of stitches under its umbilical region in the belly area and told her that the dog had been spayed."

The licence fees for a spayed female dog is much lower than one not neutered, around three times less.  However, the licensing authority requires a veterinary certificate to prove that the bitch has been spayed before issuing the licence.

I examined the bitch.  The nipples were swollen and were producing lots of milk.  I expressed milk from her nipples.  This bitch had no encounters with male dogs. Abdominal palpation did not reveal any puppy foetuses. Nor did she look pregnant.  She was very trim.  

"Your dog has false pregnancy" I said. "She would not have such a condition if she was spayed."

No veterinary surgeon should certify that a bitch has had been spayed just because nylon stitches were present in the umbilical area."

Some Singapore veterinary surgeons do use nylon stitches to close up the muscle layers after a spay, Caesarean section or after an abdominal operation.  These stitches don't dissolve and can be felt under the skin. 

The presence of such stitches cannot be used to confirm that the bitch had been spayed or had not been spayed.

Ms Fuchs was not much concerned about the economics of the licensing.  She was happy to find out that her new dog was healthy.  Well, not exactly normal as normal bitches do not produce milk when they are not pregnant.  A small percentage of bitches in Singapore develop false pregnancy and display strange behaviour like loss of appetite, hiding in corners, carrying a toy around and worrying the owner. Spaying will resolve such problems. 

P.S. A scar or some roughness near the umbilical area does not prove that the female dog has had been sterilised by another vet. As the veterinary authority trusts the integrity of the veterinary certificate issued by a licensed vet, the vet must be careful in certifying that the dog has been spayed.



Spaying procedures for a female dog at Toa Payoh Vets   
 

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Case 2:
False Pregnancy & Pyometra in a Maltese
Case was recorded in Feb 16, 2010
MILK SEEN IN A FEMALE DOG WITH PYOMETRA

After ovariohysterectomy of this Maltese with closed pyometra, I checked the 2 breast tumours between Mammary Gland (MG) 4 and 5 on both sides. There was a little amount of milk discharged in the nipples.

The female dog was spayed and some vets would do the removal of the breast tumours at the same time.

The breast tumours were not excised at this time as there was insufficient skin to stitch up. In my experience, the shorter the anaesthesia, the better the chances of survival during operation and post-operation. What the dog owner wants is a living dog at the end of the surgery.

There is no dog owner in this world who appreciates having a dead dog after the vet has had done a 2-in-one surgery in order to save the owner some money as well as earn additional income.

Obviously, the owner will be very grateful and impressed if the dog does not die after a 2-in-one surgery as the vet has saved him some money and distress in not doing two surgeries separately. 

Unfortunately, no vet can predict the outcome of a lengthy anaesthesia. The dog's heart may fail as the dog with pyometra is not healthy in the first instance.

The dog may not recover and dies some time after the surgery. Who gets the blame from the family member? The veterinary surgeon!

 So, it is up to the vet's experience to decide what to do and face the consequences and official complaints/litigation when a beloved pet dies under his or her hand.

With the first spay operation done, this dog was alive and everybody was pleased. A second breast tumour removal surgery was advised 1 month later. The dog will have a better chance of survival since she has had time to recover from the bacterial infections of pyometra and will be eating for the next 4 weeks.

Should the owner not return or go elsewhere for the tumour removal, let it be. In the pursuit of earning as much money as possible by doing 2-in-1 surgery,  the survival of the sick patient will be compromised. Let the owner go to another vet. Such things will happen to every vet.         

More info about the closed pyometra surgery is at: Script for Closed Pyometra

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False pregnancy in a Chihuahua shedding a lot of hair after giving birth some 4 months ago. Do your calculations. False pregnancy occurs usually 2 months after heat.