Canine Pregnancy Flashcards
Gravidity =
the time during which one or more offspring develops inside a uterus
Pre-Breeding Veterinary Care:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
- Brucellosis screen
- Core Vaccines
- Anthelmintics (hookworms/roundworms)
- Flea control
- Heatworm preventative
- OFA (hip dysplasia)
- CERF - canine eye registration foundation
4 main methods of pregnancy diagnosis:
- Abdominal palpation
- U/S
- Radiographs
- Relaxin assay
Pregnancy Diagnosis:
Abdominal Palpation:
- Best for what days of gestation?
- Will feel like…
- 21-28 days
2. String of pearls
Pregnancy Dx:
Radiography:
- Safe after how many days?
- Best to perform when? Why?
- 42 days
2. last week, due to calcification
Ultrasound as pregnancy diagnosis method:
- Benefit?
- Limitation?
- Confirms fetal viability
2. Inaccurate on count
Relaxin:
- comes from…
- Measurable in serum after how many days of gestation?
- placenta
2. 21-28 days
Abdominal Palpation technique:
- Locations to palpate specifically:
- flank and lower abdomen
Good Pregnancy Management Techniques:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
- Regular exercise = fewer dystocia
- Weight control = fewer dystocia
- Nutrition - increase 50% in last trimester
- Multiple small meals
- Fish oil
- Avoid all other supplements
Ways to predict whelping:
1.
2.
- Body Temp drops 24 hours prior d/t drop in progesterone
2. Whelpwise = Tocodynometry and/or fetal heart rate monitoring
Whelpwise:
- Start monitoring how soon before due date? Why?
- Detects what stage of labor?
- Allows monitoring of….
- 1-2 weeks before, to establish baseline
- Stage I labor
- fetal distress
Progesterone and Whelping Date:
Progesterone levels at:
- 36 hrs prior to whelping?
- 18 hours prior?
- 9 hours prior?
- 10 ng/mL
- 4 ng/mL
- 2 ng/mL
Features of a good whelping/queening area:
1.
2.
3
- Out of traffic patterns
- “Pig rails”
- Washable bedding
Vaginal Discharges during Pregnancy and their significance:
Occasional mucus?
normal
Vaginal Discharges during Pregnancy and their significance:
Hemorrhagic?
Normal, may be a sign of impending abortion. Eval cytology and perform vaginoscopy
Vaginal Discharges during Pregnancy and their significance:
Purulent
Pyometra or dead fetus
T/F: Routine antibiotic administration is recommended for queens during pregnancy
F, only if necessary
Antibiotics you can use in a pregnant bitch:
1.
2.
3.
4.
- Clavamox
- Cephalosporins
- Quinolones
- Ampicillin
Best way to confirm fetal wastage?
U/S
Causes of Fetal Wastage:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
- Trauma
- Heat stress
- Luteal insuff.
- Infectious (virus/bact/protozoa)
- Cystic endometrial hyperplasia
Fetal Wastage: treatment?
Evacuate uterine contents if all puppies/kittens dead
Primary uterine intertia dx method?
P4 < 2 ng/mL with no labor
Uterine Torsion:
- (common/rare)?
- Clinical Presentation?
- Uncommon
2. Acute abdomen pain and distress, but may be asymptomatic until dystocia
Diagnosis of Uterine Torsion method?
Exploratory laparotomy
Initiation of Parturition:
- Progesterone levels?
2 Body temp?
- Milk evident in glands how many days prior?
- Nesting behavior how long prior?
- fall rapidly, < 2 ng/mL
- Transient drop
- 1-7 days prior
- 12-24 hours prior
First stage of parturition:
- Begins after….
- Increase in ___ receptor sites
- Progesterone drop = removal of block from uterus = myometrial activity begins.
- oxytocin
First stage of parturition:
CxS: 1. 2. 3. 4.
- Nesting
- Anxiety
- Anorexia
- Vomiting
Second Stage of Parturition:
- ___ reflex =
- Ferguson reflex = oxytocin release and abdominal contractions.
Second stage of parturition:
____ appears first.
Amnion
T/F: Breech presentations are a medical emergency.
False, they’re normal
Second stage of parturition:
Greenish-black discharge = _____.
What is its clinical significance?
Uteroverdin.
Indicates placental margin hematoma.
T/F”
The majority of cases have fetus delivery from alternating uterine horns
T
Second stage of parturition:
Intervention criteria:
1.
2.
3.
- Active contractions > 1 hour
- Rest period > 4 hours
- Black thick discharge without fetus
Fetal Presentation/Position/Posture:
- 60% born in _________
- 40% in _______
- cranial longitudinal presentation with front limbs extended
- Caudal longitudinal presentation with hind limbs extended.
Fetal factors that affect Fetal Disposition (the three P’s)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
- Fetal monsters
- Anasarca
- multiple limbs
- Single pip
- Hydrocephalus
- Schistosomus
Main maternal factors that can cause dystocia:
1.
2.
3.
4.
- Primary uterine inertia
- Secondary uterine ineterita
- breed-related
- Conformation related
Describe primary uterine intertia:
incompletely dilate cervix with no signs of second stage labor.
can be caused by hypocalcemia
Describe secondary uterine inertia
Where pup obstructs and uterus gets tired
Intervention for Dystocia:
- ____ should be considered early.
- If no obstruction is present, consider ___ or ____
- C-section
2. Oxytocin or Ca++
Methods to determine fetal viability during dystocia:
1.
2.
- U/S
2. Rads
Guide for Dystocia Intervention:
- If no intrapelvic onstruction?
- If pup within 30 min?
- If no pup?
- 1-2 IU of oxytocin
- Oxytocin q30 min until all pups delivered
- CA++ and than oxytocin. if still no pup 30 minutes later, C-Section
T/F: Retention of placenta is rare
T
Placenta type?
Zonary, endotheliochorial placenta
How many C-sections can a bitch have in her lifetime?
3-4
Factors that influence whether a bitch can have repeated C-section:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
- How the hysterotomy incision healed
- Presence of adhesions
- Presence of serosal inclusion cysts
- Problems under anesthesia
- Concerns with body wall healing
- Bitches age/parity/health
Postpartrum Period - Normal involution:
Color change?
red to brown
Postpartrum Period - Normal involution:
Consistency change?
Watery to mucoid
T/F Brownish mucoid lochia can be normal for 4-6 weeks postpartum
T
Management of Dam:
Monitor ____ and ___ daily
mammary glands and vulvar discharges
Management of Dam:
Food and water access?
during weaning?
unlimited
reduce food
Sart weaning process at how old? complete by how old?
start at 3-4 weeks, complete by 5-8 weeks
Care of Newborns:
Thermoregulation type for first 2-3 weeks?
Poikilothermic - assume ambient temp
Care of Newborns:
Blood gas?
Respiratory and metabolic acidosis
Monitoring Neonates:
Daily weight gain should be…
10% of birth weight gain daily
