Uterus/Vaginal Prolapse?

Hi guys. My girl is in her first heat, shes 10 months old and has a vaginal prolapse. She has the vet this morning. I am showing her at present and dont want her spayed unless her health is in jeopardy. Has anyone had this with their bitches and can they ever recover from it and go on to have pups? Some say yes, some say no, but no one has had this experience themselves..I guess there are lots of saints this can happen to (

Jackie from Guildhearts recommended me to you guys as she said you all know what you are on about!

Thanks, any replies much MUCH appreciated
Louise x

Just an update so if anyone else ever has the same problem they can hopefully get some answers from this.

Flo does have a prolapsed Uterus . The way most vets will treat it is by soaking the prolapse in sugary water (dextrose) and massaging it back into the body. They then insert a cathater to drain the urine and stitch the enlarged flesh to the inside wall of the body. It is done while she is asleep. My vet has quoted me a price of approx £170 - £200.

She has also told me that sometimes the stitch will come loose, within the first week or so. If that happens, she will try and stitch it again. If that does not stop it from happening again, she will have to be spayed. It can also happen again on her next heat cycle. If it does, she will have to be spayed.

There are some new hormone treatments at the moment that she is going to look into and see how much they cost and how effective they are.

I am now waiting for my phone call to say shes ok and I can bring her home. I will update you guys later.

Louise x

hi
sorry this is happening hopefully heather will come along as she has experiance with this i think....

cheri

Wow what a nightmare. Im so sorry you and she have to go through this.

Flo's home safe and sound and its good news (i think)

She didnt have a prolapse after all once the vet had a look. Its just that she is very (very) well endowed! She was swollen around her uterus causing the "prolapse" look.

Shes been massaged and stitched across her vag opening. Theres not much else the vet can do as she is still in heat and the swelling won't go until her cycle finishes. She had an injection to bring the swelling down and is on antibiotics. She has to go back next Wednesday for a check up. Total cost £270...she said its this much because shes so big but she is 10 months old. She weighs 66kg and is 76cm at the withers. This is avergae isnt it? When does she stop growing then? I kinda thought she was about there!

Im so glad this wasn't a prolapse as she could very well go on to have a "normal" second heat as there isn't anything actually wrong apart from cosmeticly she looks hideous! So fingers crossed she will make a full recovery.

Will let you know if anything changes!

Louise x

Hi

Yes I have had several prolapses in bitches, all vaginal not uterine.

I have never heard of a vulva being so swollen it could be mistaken for a prolapse - a prolapse is very evident! I have had the bitches in question spayed, it is hormonal & yes they do recur with every season, usually more severe as time goes on.

Stitching to the wall usually doesn't work & usually requires re doing within a week or so. I wouldn't put my bitch under anaesthetic twice in a fortnight for the sake of not having to spay, so I could breed. The risks to the bitch's health far outweigh the possibility of a litter in my opinion. Bearing in mind whilst pregnant the bitch can still suffer a prolapse & require a c section

Prolapses left un dealt with can drag on the floor & cause infection.
Personally I wouldn't try & breed from a bitch that suffers from prolapses, it's hormonal & likely to be passed along the bitch line. Same goes for hormone treatments.
There are probably only a handful of top winning bitches with outstanding pedigrees that I would even contemplate risking trying to mate with prolapses

Heather

Hi Lou

I can only reiterate what Heather already has said .... I have dealt with other people who have had prolapses with their girls & tried to mate them ... its been hideous as its painful & also the risk of a c-section later if the bitch takes.

I have to ask .. If your vet says she didn't have a prolapse, what was the need for the massage & stitching ? This treatment is what is required for a prolapse so i don't understand?

Thanks for your replies girls, I really appreciate it. I dont know half as much as I want to about this so your input is great..thanks.

I went in this morning and Vicky (Vet) said "Oh yes, shes definatley prolapsing, we need to get that sorted". So I said fine, do whatever needs to be done. We had a long chat about the pros and cons of breeding a bitch and we both agreed with what you two have both said. If a bitch is going to prolapse..why pass that awful trait on to any litters?

She said she would try and stitch it but it might not work and she would then try a second time if it didnt work. If it happened again she would spay her. I said to try the stitch but if it came out again, just spay straight away... No second stitches. I said the same as you, I dont want her under anasthetic several times in less than a couple of weeks... Its just not worth it. Vicky agreed.

Anyway, she phoned this afternoon and said it wasnt prolapsed at all but her vulva and the "pillow" surrounding the uterus hammock was very badly swollen, causing everything the vagina side of it to push out. She massaged her to shrink the protruding flesh and then pushed it back in. She did stitch her, but across the vagina opening, not anywhere inside her. She said that she did some research and that it is not unheard of for Saint Bernards to have this if they have very large dogs in their lines. She assured me that technically she was fine, its just extra flesh but it could get in the way when mating if she has it every season so she might not be able to breed.

Now it is just sit tight and wait to see how it goes. I just wanted an idea really of what it entailed and its better to get someones first hand experience rather than a file on the internet, so thank you for that.

I have to say that my main goal is not to breed Flo, its to show her.... If the stitch doesnt hold she will be spayed. I wont love her any less..she will still be able to slobber on me before work so I have to get changed again, shed hair all over my lovely clean sofa and shake her head when Im eating my lunch and slobber attack me ) My aim is to get her into the show ring and let her strut her stuff. She is a beauty (they all are) and I think she will do very well in the next 12 months.

Again, thanks for your help and expertise. Im sure I have many many years ahead of me of ups and downs but its nice to know Im not alone.

Lou x

Ah thanks for the explanation ... it did confuse me somewhat lol

Even if she is speyed, you can apply to the KC for permission to show & under those circumstances i dont see why they would deny it ...

Hope shes doing ok

Shes fine, giving me dirty looks, but fine , thank you

Your vets research probably brought up all the bitches of mine whose fannies have fallen out!!
I seem to be famous for it now!!

I am squeamish at the best of times but the worst one was actually hanging out & down.
That was enough for me tbh, having to wash 'it' after the bitch had been for a wee as it had dragged in the dirt & my vet (the first time it happened) suggesting I 'just pop it back in' errrrrrrr no!!!
Was up at the vets 4 times in one day having it 'popped back in' - she was spayed next day!

For info if she has to be spayed you don't have to apply to the KC for permission as for some other health issues, you just have to write to notify them she has been spayed.

See this is why I keep boys now Mrs Lane!!! eughghghghgh

LOL thats the first time I've laughed all day, thank you for that.

If it makes you feel any better, Im a nursing auxillary and Ive seen human ones that can put Flos to shame so it doesnt bother me )

Thanks for the giggles

Lou x

Thats cos you're a lightweight Bridget LMAO!!!!

OMGGGG I can't even begin to imagine how horrific the human version would be!!

Omg omg!!

LMAO ... I can see you reaching for the brown bag about now cos your hyperventilating at the thought hahahahaaaa

Definately a lightweight, bless you x

Lou x

Just to let youknow that Flo is doing fine, her extar "bits" have drastically reduced and the vet said her stitches should be able to come out next week.

No one is really sure if it will happen again, some say it will every time, some say it only happens on the first season due to the shock of estrogen in the body for the first time, but it is not a prolapse and my vet said she should be normal from now on.

We will wait and see but she's recovered well, bless her.

Lou x