Pregnancy & Misalliance Flashcards
What 3 hormones are important in pregnancy?
- Progesterone (produced by CL, maintains pregnancy, closes the cervix)
- Prolactin (supports the CL, stimulates lactation & maternal behavior)
- Relaxin (produced by developing placenta following implantation of embryo; relaxes ligaments in pelvis to prepare for labor)
How early can you diagnose pregnancy in a bitch by abdominal palpation?
21-28 days post ovulation; feels turgid like a string of pearls; feces in colon is NOT turgid
When can you use ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis?
Day 28
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.
3 weeks before gestation & 3 weeks after
How many days post ovulation will Relaxin become measurable?
day 21 of pregnancy
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.
F, all puppies (dead or alive) will stimulate an increase in relaxin levels.
What type of diet should be fed to pregnant bitches?
One for all life stages or a puppy food.
Not large breed puppy because it has decreased Ca2+, fat, & calories)
T/F: A bitch should receive 1.5x her normal calories in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and during lactation.
T
On what days of pregnancy should you deworm the bitch with Fenbendazole?
Days 41-43
When is the best time to perform a pre-whelping radiograph?
One week before gestation.
Radiographs safe after day 40 but best to wait until last week of gestation
When should you start taking a bitch’s temperature and how often should you take it?
Starting one week prior to due date and take it 2-3x daily at the same time each day.
Once a bitch’s temperature reaches 98 F, how long after would you expect her to start whelping?
Within 24 hours; drop in temperature associated with progesterone drop
When is embryonic resorption likely to occur?
Before day 35 of gestation
What are the 2 types of embryonic resorption?
- Physiologic (does not affect normal litter size)
- Pathologic (decreased litter size or complete pregnancy loss)
What are the 2 causes of physiologic embryonic resorption?
- Genetic abnormality of embryo
- Overcrowding
What are 2 general causes of pathologic embryonic resorption?
- Infectious (B. canis, E. coli, Staph, Strep, Salmonella, Mycoplasma, etc.)
- Non-infectious (CEH, endocrine disorders, toxins, drugs, nutrition, trauma, etc.)
What are your recommendations moving forward after identifying a few resorbed embryos (although there are still viable embryos present)?
Recheck in 1 week
What are your recommendations moving forward after finding that all embryos in a bitch have been resorbed and there are no viable ones left?
Complete emptying of uterus - could occur spontaneously, but may need to intervene with medical management (PGF2a, aglepristone, cabergoline).
Or, you could spay her.
What are the clinical signs associated with stage 1 of labor and how long can it last?
Anorexia, nesting, panting, but NO pushing
Can last up to 18 hours
Which stage of labor is the bitch considered to be in active labor?
Stage 2
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?
Active contractions & pushing
Can take 1 hour for the first puppy to be born; 30 minutes of pushing for subsequent puppies
Fetal stress is indicated if fetal heart rates are less than how many beats per minute?
<180bpm
What type of medication is Aglepristone?
Progesterone receptor antagonist
Aglepristone can cause pregnancy termination up to how many days after mating?
45 days
How long does Aglepristone shorten the interestrus interval by?
1-3 months
T/F: Aglepristone is currently only available in Europe, but it has minimal side effects in the bitch.
T
What 3 effects do prostaglandins have when given multiple small injections?
- Luteolysis
- Myometrial contractions
- Cervical dilatation
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.
T
What is the natural formulation of PGF2a?
Dinoprost
How should dinoprost be administered?
SQ
T/F: Dinoprost is a very safe drug with minimal side effects.
F, it has a low margin of safety & side effects are dose dependent (can cause panting, salivation, restlessness, GI signs, tachycardia, etc.)
