PetMD Seal

Bacterial Infection (Metritis) of the Uterus in Cats

PrintPrint

Treatment

 

Your cat will need to be hospitalized for fluid therapy, and for correction and stabilization of any electrolyte imbalances. If the infection has reached sepsis, your cat will also be treated for shock. Your cat will also need to be placed on broad-spectrum antibiotics until the bacterial culture and sensitivity results return from the lab; then, depending on the results, your veterinarian may switch your pet to the antibiotic best suited for eliminating the bacteria that are causing the infection.

 

If the metritis is not in an advanced stage, your cat will most likely respond to medical treatment. However, medical treatment does not always prevent the infection from progressing to a generalized abdominal infection and ruptured uterus. If future breeding is not planned, having your cat spayed is the treatment of choice. This solution is especially appropriate when retained fetuses or placentas are present in the uterus, when the uterus has ruptured, or when it is severely infected. Patients suffering from a long-term infection that is not responding to medical treatment may improve with a surgical cleaning of the uterus.

 

Living and Management

 

If your cat is nursing and has been diagnosed with a bacterial blood infection, it will be better to hand-raise her kittens so that transmission of the infection through her milk can be prevented. This can also prevent possible harm to the kittens from exposure to the prescribed antibiotics in their mother's bloodstream. Keep in mind that even without spaying, animals that have been treated for a uterine infection have a chance of becoming less fertile, or even infertile, making future breeding difficult or impossible.

 

 

Related Articles

Vaginal Abnormalities in Cats
An altered or abnormal anatomic vaginal architecture, or vaginal malformation, can...
READ MORE
Postpartum Low Blood Calcium in Cats
Blood calcium deficiency, also called hypocalcemia, is a relatively uncommon but...
READ MORE
Early Contractions and Labor in Cats
There are many conditions that can cause a pregnant cat, or queen, to experience...
READ MORE
MORE FROM PETMD.COM