Pregnancy & Misalliance

Question 1

What 3 hormones are important in pregnancy?

Answer 1

1. Progesterone (produced by CL, maintains pregnancy, closes the cervix)
2. Prolactin (supports the CL, stimulates lactation & maternal behavior)
3. Relaxin (produced by developing placenta following implantation of embryo; relaxes ligaments in pelvis to prepare for labor)

Question 2

How early can you diagnose pregnancy in a bitch by abdominal palpation?

Answer 2

21-28 days post ovulation; feels turgid like a string of pearls; feces in colon is NOT turgid

Question 3

When can you use ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis?

Answer 3

Day 28

Question 4

When is the most important time to quarantine the bitch (and her puppies) for biosecurity purposes to prevent infection with herpesvirus? Especially if the bitch doesn’t have previous exposure.

Answer 4

3 weeks before gestation & 3 weeks after

Question 5

How many days post ovulation will Relaxin become measurable?

Answer 5

day 21 of pregnancy

Question 6

T/F: Dead puppies will not produce relaxin, and therefore if you have elevated relaxin levels then you know it is coming from puppies that are alive.

Answer 6

F, all puppies (dead or alive) will stimulate an increase in relaxin levels.

Question 7

What type of diet should be fed to pregnant bitches?

Answer 7

One for all life stages or a puppy food.

Not large breed puppy because it has decreased Ca2+, fat, & calories)

Question 8

T/F: A bitch should receive 1.5x her normal calories in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and during lactation.

Answer 8

T

Question 9

On what days of pregnancy should you deworm the bitch with Fenbendazole?

Answer 9

Days 41-43

Question 10

When is the best time to perform a pre-whelping radiograph?

Answer 10

One week before gestation.

Radiographs safe after day 40 but best to wait until last week of gestation

Question 11

When should you start taking a bitch’s temperature and how often should you take it?

Answer 11

Starting one week prior to due date and take it 2-3x daily at the same time each day.

Question 12

Once a bitch’s temperature reaches 98 F, how long after would you expect her to start whelping?

Answer 12

Within 24 hours; drop in temperature associated with progesterone drop

Question 13

When is embryonic resorption likely to occur?

Answer 13

Before day 35 of gestation

Question 14

What are the 2 types of embryonic resorption?

Answer 14

1. Physiologic (does not affect normal litter size)
2. Pathologic (decreased litter size or complete pregnancy loss)

Question 15

What are the 2 causes of physiologic embryonic resorption?

Answer 15

1. Genetic abnormality of embryo
2. Overcrowding

Question 16

What are 2 general causes of pathologic embryonic resorption?

Answer 16

1. Infectious (B. canis, E. coli, Staph, Strep, Salmonella, Mycoplasma, etc.)
2. Non-infectious (CEH, endocrine disorders, toxins, drugs, nutrition, trauma, etc.)

Question 17

What are your recommendations moving forward after identifying a few resorbed embryos (although there are still viable embryos present)?

Answer 17

Recheck in 1 week

Question 18

What are your recommendations moving forward after finding that all embryos in a bitch have been resorbed and there are no viable ones left?

Answer 18

Complete emptying of uterus - could occur spontaneously, but may need to intervene with medical management (PGF2a, aglepristone, cabergoline).

Or, you could spay her.

Question 19

What are the clinical signs associated with stage 1 of labor and how long can it last?

Answer 19

Anorexia, nesting, panting, but NO pushing

Can last up to 18 hours

Question 20

Which stage of labor is the bitch considered to be in active labor?

Answer 20

Stage 2

Question 21

What clinical signs are associated with stage 2 of labor & how long should it be before the first puppy is born? What about for the subsequent puppies?

Answer 21

Active contractions & pushing

Can take 1 hour for the first puppy to be born; 30 minutes of pushing for subsequent puppies

Question 22

Fetal stress is indicated if fetal heart rates are less than how many beats per minute?

Answer 22

<180bpm

Question 23

What type of medication is Aglepristone?

Answer 23

Progesterone receptor antagonist

Question 24

Aglepristone can cause pregnancy termination up to how many days after mating?

Answer 24

45 days

Question 25

How long does Aglepristone shorten the interestrus interval by?

Answer 25

1-3 months

Question 26

T/F: Aglepristone is currently only available in Europe, but it has minimal side effects in the bitch.

Answer 26

T

Question 27

What 3 effects do prostaglandins have when given multiple small injections?

Answer 27

1. Luteolysis
2. Myometrial contractions
3. Cervical dilatation

Question 28

T/F: Drugs used for misalliance to terminate the pregnancy should not be handled by pregnant women, and if people do handle it, they should use gloves.

Answer 28

T

Question 29

What is the natural formulation of PGF2a?

Answer 29

Dinoprost

Question 30

How should dinoprost be administered?

Answer 30

SQ

Question 31

T/F: Dinoprost is a very safe drug with minimal side effects.

Answer 31

F, it has a low margin of safety & side effects are dose dependent (can cause panting, salivation, restlessness, GI signs, tachycardia, etc.)