Seasonal effects on appearance of pyometra in bitches

Pyometra is one of the most frequent and very grave diseases of the reproductive system in bitches. It occurs around 30 to 60 days following the latest oestrus in bitches that are not pregnant. Bitches older than 5 years have a significantly higher predisposition for this disease than younger bitches. There are also differences between certain breeds in the age at which this disease is manifested in a bitch. The objective of this work was to establish whether the seasons of the year also affect the incidence of pyometra in bitches in the territory of Vojvodina. The occurrence of pyometra was examined in a total of 318 bitches over a course of two years and during the different seasons of the year. It was established that a statistically significantly higher number of bitches (p is less than 0.05) fall ill with this disease during the seasons September-November (31%) and December-February (28%) than during the seasons March-May (19%) and June-August (22%). The obtained data can serve to secure better prevention and timely diagnoses of pyometra in bitches.