Whelping and dystocia Flashcards
Describe the first stage of parturition
on set of uterine contraticon- generally cant be seen
fetus assumes disposition for expulsion
Describe the second stage of parturition
Uterine contractions
fergusons reflex
fetus delivered
Describe the third stage of parturition
Expulsion of the placenta
What is the normal gestation of dog
63 days +1 day
but time of mating around ovulation is variable
What occurs at the end of pregancy in dogs which can be used to determine parturition
decline in plasma progesterone -1.5 days before
decrease in rectal temp- 24 hours before
Describe how we can assess if bitches cervix is open
via endoscopic examination
what does fetal heart rate of less than 150 bpm suggest
indicates stress - hypoxia
What is the normal fetal heart rate at term
170-230bpm
what does fetal heart rate of less than 130 bpm suggest
poor survival if not delivered within 2-3 hours
what does fetal heart rate of less than 100 bpm suggest
Immediate (medical or surgical) intervention to hasten delivery before demise of the pups
what is the most common cause of dystocia in the dog
uterine inertia- failure of uterine contractions
List 3 ways to manipulate fetal orientation in dogs
use gravity
use trans-abdominal pressure
use appropriate traction methods
List 2 drugs we can give in cases of dystocia in dogs
oxytocin
calcium
why does rectal temp come down before parturition
because progesterone decreases are is thermogenic
what does a red-green discharge suggest in dystocia case in dog
placental separation
If you have a 7 year old dog with dead puppies that isn’t going to breed again do we do c-section and spay at same time
very vascular- will loose significant blood volume- especially if already compromised
so not recommended
What is the mechanism for the development of primary uterine inertia?
Onset of uterine contractions but pup not pushed into birth canal so abdominal contractions don’t start- so they aren’t delivered
List 5 risk factors for primary inertia
small litter
large litter
old dam
obese dam
debilitated dam
What normal feature of pregnancy in dogs complicates the diagnosis of primary inertia?
if bitch mated early- and has a long apparent pregnancy length due to variable ovulation time
makes it harder to tell when they are overdue
Describe how to tell the difference between pregnancy and uterine inertia
measure plasma progesterone levels- if high pregnancy if low - parturition
What management practices can be put in place to monitor possible uterine inertia cases?
clinical exam and US at month gestation- tells us if the dog is at risk of primary inertia
In US look at development of puppies- to decide roughly when ovulation occurred= more exact due date
When it is clear that inertia has occurred but before the pups have died what treatment options are available?
Oxytocin
Calcium
If you delivered pups with oxytocin but the bitch had no milk what treatment options would you consider
Drugs to stimulate milk production
e.g. Metaclopramide- agonist of prolactin
Which day would you chose for an elective c-section in dog if you only have a date of mating?
Do based on changes in progesterone- but have to charge for this- which owners may not accept
Do based on clinical signs- e.g. rectal temp
why do premature puppies often die
can’t breath because they don’t have enough lung surfactant
