Recurrent Post-ovariohysterectomy Wound Dehiscence with Evisceration Secondary to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in a Bitch: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Ovariohysterectomy is a routine surgical procedure in canine practice, but wound dehiscence and surgical site infection can compromise recovery, particularly when antimicrobial-resistant organisms are involved. This case report describes recurrent postoperative abdominal wound dehiscence with evisceration secondary to multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a 9-month-old Nigerian Indigenous bitch following elective spaying at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. The patient was clinically stable before surgery, although a preoperative hematological evaluation could not be processed because of laboratory equipment malfunction. The primary ovariohysterectomy was performed through a 6 cm midline incision, and the patient initially received empirical amoxicillin and diclofenac. On postoperative day 5, complete abdominal wound dehiscence with omental and partial intestinal evisceration occurred, requiring emergency revision, lavage and re-closure. Purulent incisional discharge noted on postoperative day 11 prompted wound culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. A heavy pure growth of P. aeruginosa was isolated, which was resistant to ceftriaxone, amoxicillin-clavulanate and cotrimoxazole, and susceptibility to ofloxacin, gentamicin, levofloxacin, netilmicin and tetracycline. A second revision involved debridement, partial omentectomy to remove non-viable omentum, culture-guided antimicrobial adjustment, daily wound care and strict confinement. Complete clinical recovery and discharge occurred on postoperative day 17. The case highlights the importance of careful fascial closure, early microbiological investigation, targeted antimicrobial therapy and postoperative confinement in complicated canine surgical site infections.