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A 9 yr old, unknown weight, intact female domestic shorthair presented for evaluation of dystocia with dyspnea. En route to the hospital for treatment, the owners noted the queen stopped breathing. On presentation, cardiopulmonary arrest was confirmed. The exact cause was unknown but suspected to be secondary to acute fulminant congestive heart failure or acute respiratory distress syndrome due to a large volume of serosanguineous fluid within the mouth and nose. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was immediately started. After 2 min of CPR without return of spontaneous circulation, the owners consented to perimortem Cesarean section. Two kittens were removed via emergency hysterotomy within 3-4 min. Both kittens were successfully resuscitated. CPR efforts were continued on the queen for 2 min after delivery of the kittens, at which time the owners elected to stop further resuscitative efforts. Both kittens were discharged from the hospital and were alive at last follow-up, 2 yr and 4 mo after birth. There are no previous reports regarding the use of a perimortem Cesarean section to deliver neonates in small animal medicine. Therefore, this report represents a novel treatment approach that can be considered in the case of maternal arrest during dystocia., (© 2023 by American Animal Hospital Association.)

A 2-year-old pluriparous domestic shorthair queen was brought to the Madras Veterinary College Teaching hospital with a history of full-term pregnancy, straining for the past 24 hours and brown vaginal discharge. Radiography of the abdomen showed presence of 3 fetal skeletons, and ultrasonography revealed no fetal heartbeat. An emergency caesarean section was performed, and a 720° torsion of the right uterine horn was revealed. Three dead kittens were delivered, 2 from the right horn and 1 from the left horn. An ovariohysterectomy was also performed., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The incidence of dystocia in cats is relatively low compared to that in other pet and farm animals. However, when dystocia occurs in cats, manual, medicinal or surgical intervention is required., Objectives: Here, we report a caesarean section (C-section) in a Bangladeshi domestic cat that suffered from dystocia due to partial primary uterine inertia., Methods: A Bangladeshi domestic queen cat was presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) with signs of dystocia. The queen had given birth to one kitten 36 hr earlier; however, newborn died 30 min after birth. She was unable to deliver the remaining fetuses. The cat had gone off feed, appeared depressed, had a severely enlarged abdomen and showed no straining efforts. On palpation, bony-like structures were felt in both sides of the abdomen. Ultrasonographic (USG) examination was carried out, which confirmed the presence of two fetuses, one fetus in each uterine horn. No fetal movements could be detected. The cat was diagnosed with dystocia due to partial primary uterine inertia., Results: A C-section was performed, and two emphysematous, putrefied and large dead kittens were removed. The uterus was found to be severely decomposed and foul smelling; therefore, an ovariohysterectomy was carried out to prevent development of maternal toxaemia and septicaemia. The queen recovered fully., Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, we report here, for the first time, a successful C-section followed by an ovariohysterectomy in a Bangladeshi domestic cat, suffering from severe dystocia due to partial primary uterine inertia for >36 hr., (© 2021 The Authors. Veterinary Medicine and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the incidence of feline dystocia with respect to breed. Methods The data used were reimbursed claims for veterinary care insurance and/or life insurance claims in cats registered in a Swedish insurance database from 1999-2006. Results The incidence rates for dystocia were about 22 cats per 10,000 cat-years at risk, 67 per 10,000 for purebred cats and seven per 10,000 for domestic shorthair cats. The median age was 2.5 years. A significant effect of breed was seen. An incidence rate ratio (IRR) that was significantly higher compared with other purebred cats was seen in the British Shorthair (IRR 2.5), the Oriental group (IRR 2.2), Birman (IRR 1.7), Ragdoll (IRR 1.5) and the Abyssinian group (IRR 1.5). A significantly lower IRR was seen in the Norwegian Forest Cat (IRR 0.38), the Maine Coon (IRR 0.48), the Persian/Exotic group (IRR 0.49) and the Cornish Rex (IRR 0.50). No common factor among the high-risk breeds explained their high risk for dystocia. There was no effect of location; that is, the incidence rate did not differ depending on whether the cat lived in an urban or rural area. Caesarean section was performed in 56% of the cats with dystocia, and the case fatality was 2%. Conclusions and relevance The incidence rate for dystocia was of a similar magnitude in purebred cats as in dogs. The IRR varied significantly among breeds, and the main cause for dystocia should be identified separately for each breed. A selection for easy parturitions in breeding programmes is suggested.

If medical management of dystocia has failed or is inadvisable, a Cesarean section is indicated. The necessity of surgery is primarily based on the condition of the dam, progression of labor, and fetal heart rate. Timely intervention is crucial for optimal fetal and maternal survival. Surgical technique may vary, based on the needs of each individual case. There are many options for each portion of the surgery, including the choice of anesthetic protocol, abdominal approach, uterine incision location, and post-surgical pain management. Indications for surgery and some of the options for each step of the procedure are presented. Episiotomy is rarely used to treat dystocia and therefore, it is discussed only briefly.

The emergency clinician is frequently called on to manage problems relating to the female reproductive tract. Because owners sel-dom have the medical knowledge needed to differentiate normal from abnormal reproductive behaviors, they frequently look to the emergency veterinarian for guidance and information during and after parturition. For this reason, it is essential that the veterinarian have a good understanding of the normal reproductive cycle as well as the common emergencies that may occur. This article reviews the events surrounding normal parturition in the dog and cat and the reproductive emergencies seen most commonly in practice.

En bloc ovariohysterectomy, a technique that involves ovariohysterectomy before hysterotomy and removal of the neonates, was performed on 63 animals (37 dogs and 26 cats). Intraoperative complications were limited to 1 cat that bled excessively during surgery and was later found to have a clotting disorder. Postoperative complications included anemia that required blood transfusion in 3 cats, uroperitoneum in 1 dog, and death in 1 cat. The rate of neonatal survival (75% for dogs and 42% for cats) was similar to that documented by previous studies of medical and surgical management of dystocia. We concluded that en bloc ovariohysterectomy is a safe and effective alternative to cesarean section for surgical treatment of dystocia in dogs and cats.