My dog had a fever during a C-section delivery. A month later she had a little brown, foul-smelling discharge that stopped after 3 days of medication, and now there is occasional white discharge from her rear. What does this mean?

Based on the description, this may be an early sign of pyometra, though a postpartum discharge period cannot be ruled out. A normal postpartum discharge period is generally 1 to 2 weeks.

Pyometra is divided into open pyometra and closed pyometra by symptoms. Open pyometra has obvious signs and is easy to identify, the most obvious symptom being reddish-brown or milky-white inflammatory discharge from the vaginal opening.

With closed pyometra, there are usually no obvious early symptoms. After the uterine infection becomes severe, signs appear such as abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, vomiting, increased drinking, fever, increased urination, lethargy and diarrhea. Because these can be confused with other diseases, prompt veterinary diagnosis is advised. Once confirmed, surgical removal of the uterus is the recommended treatment; conservative medication carries a risk of recurrence or secondary gynecological problems.