Owners have the ability to surrender their animals to animal shelters for any reason. Some people surrender their animals for euthanasia. This means that they want or approve that their animal be euthanized. However, by surrendering their animal, owners give the shelter the right to assess the animal’s condition and choose not to euthanize, but instead to find rescue for the animal or to treat and put the animal up for adoption.

A chihuahua mix, who we’ll call Sandy, was surrendered to the San Jose Animal Care Center because she was not doing well. She was neither eating nor drinking and seemed quite lethargic. The owners also noted that she had abnormal urine.

Sandy’s owners surrendered her to us for euthanasia. She was brought into the medical clinic in order for me to examine her. Within no time, I was able to surmise that the owners were mistaking brown discharge dripping from Sandy’s vulva for urine. This was a key observation in determining that, as a middle-aged intact female, Sandy had a pyometra, otherwise known as a pus-filled uterus.

Pyometra is very common in female dogs that have not been spayed. It is an infection in the uterus, and it is often fatal if it is not treated. Treatment, of course, is to spay the dog.

Sandy was in luck!

We spayed her, removing her large, pus-filled uterus.

Sandy’s large, distended uterus before cutting it open.

Sandy’s large, distended uterus, cut open and draining pus.

Here is a video of the pus draining from the uterus after it was cut open (Warning: Graphic):

Fortunately, Sandy made a full recovery and taken to the Marin Humane Society where she found her forever home!

Sandy recovering from surgery on a warm, comfy bed.