Pyometra in Puma (Puma concolor Linnaeus, 1771) – case report

Abstract

Pyometra in felines may present with a vaginal discharge or no vaginal discharge, depending on the opening of the uterine cervix. The most obvious clinical signs of a closed uterine cervix pyometra are loss of appetite, apathy, lethargy, polydipsia, polyuria, hyperthermia and abdominal enlargement. The veterinary approach depends on numerous factors, but the patient is invariably submitted to an ovariohysterectomy. This case report discusses a puma (Puma concolor), aged over 16 years and under human care in a zoo in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with clinical suspicion of closed pyometra. The patient underwent ultrasound examination, laboratory analysis and an ovariohysterectomy. The animal recovered well and returned to the display enclosure at the zoo.