Dystocia Flashcards
Stage II of parturition
This is considered active labor ending with fetal expulsion and is typically 4-18 hours. There will be abdominal contractions with a fully dilated cervix as a result of the Ferguson reflex which releases oxytocin.
Stage I parturition
6-12 hours of restlessness, nesting, digging, transient hyporexia. The cervix is dilated and there are uterine contractions but no abdominal
Stage III parturition
Passage of the fetal membranes about 5-15 minutes after birth or inbetween two puppies/kittens
Dystocia definition
Difficult birth or failure to successfully pass puppies through the vaginal canal
What breeds have the highest dystocia rates?
French bulldog, Boston terrier, pug, chihuahua
__ and __ are common causes of dystocia in bitches
Fetal malposition and complete primary uterine inertia
Complete primary uterine inertia
Dont move on to stage 2 of partition from stage 1. You may see green discharge, it may be caused by large litters and you won’t observe contractions.
Secondary Uterine Inertia
Prolonged uterine contraction fails to promote fetal expulsion. Theres no Fergusons reflex and no response to oxytocin administration.
Normal PPP for K9/Feline
Presentation: anterior and posterior
Position: longitudinal, dorsosacral
Posture: extended head and limbs
A __ fetus or __ may cause obstructive dystocia
Large, malposture
When should you start to suspect dystocia?
- prolonged gestation length past due date
- no signs of parturition 24 hours after temperature drop
- weak contraction, intermittent or absent abdominal straining with no fetal expulsion
- strong contractions with no fetal expulsion within 30 minutes
- > 2 hours between puppies
- green/red/brown discharge without delivery
- foul smell
Anytime you see __ or __ during parturition owners should call their vet
Black vulvar discharge, mod/large amts of blood
What does green/brown, bloody/foul smelling vaginal discharge mean?
Placental separation-> puppy is not receiving adequate blood supply anymore
Fetal heart rate of __ to __ indicated distress
160-180 bpm
What two things should you look at for fetal maturity/development? For gestational aging?
Kidney development and intestinal layers/peristalsis
Biparietal diameter
If hypoglycemia is present then give __ or ___
Oral glucose or 5-10% glucose solution IV
If ionized calcium is less than 1.21mmol/L then you need to increase the strength of __. What should you give?
Uterine contractions, give 10% calcium gluconate every 6-8 hours
oxytocin can be given to help with __ and __ lasting around 30 minutes. what happens with repeated administration?
Uterine contraction and milk ejection functions. Repeated administration may cause hyper stimulation or tetany
Name a few reasons to go to C section
Uterine inertia, anatomic abnormalities, fetal distress or abnormalities, obstructive dystocia
For C sections we use __ as pre anesthetic medication to alleviate stress and reduce propofol amount needed
Fentanyl
Explain why we might use propofol, alfaxalone or ketamine as C section induction agents
Propofol: allows rapid induction and easy intubation
Alfaxalone: less likely to cause cardio respiratory depression and does not accumulate after repeating doses and newborns exhibit quick recovery
Ketamine/barbiturics: NOT RECOMMENDED
What should you use for an epidural in c sections?
Bupivicaine or lidocaine but try to move FAST
Conservative OHE’s removes the __ and closes the __ while radical ends with an ___
Puppies + placenta, uterus, OHE
