postpartum pathology. Milk fever (eclampsia, postpartum tetany)

A sharp decrease in extracellular calcium concentration leads to the development of eclampsia. Eclampsia is more common in small breed dogs, usually within the first three weeks after birth, but may develop late in pregnancy or during delivery. Cats have been reported to become ill, but these cases are very rare. Early signs are restlessness, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, salivation, tremor and paresis. Symptoms increase, develop tonic-clonic convulsions, fever, tachycardia, miosis, convulsions, ending in the death of the animal. For treatment, a 10% solution of calcium borogluconate is immediately administered intravenously. The dose varies from 2 to 20 ml per dog and from 2 to 5 ml per cat and depends on the degree of hypocalcemia and the size of the animal. The procedure is accompanied by monitoring of cardiac activity to detect bradycardia and arrhythmia. In the event of arrhythmia or vomiting, the administration of the drug is temporarily suspended, after which it is resumed, but administered more slowly. Due to the fact that hypocalcemia often leads to the development of hypoglycemia, it is recommended intravenous administration 10% dextrose solution. The litter is weaned from its mother and transferred for 24 hours to artificial feeding. Puppies older than 4 weeks of age, it is advisable to take away from the mother. Lactating females (especially those with a history of eclampsia) are given oral calcium carbonate at a dose of 100 mg/kg daily mixed with food. In addition, the introduction of vitamin D is recommended. Prophylactic administration of calcium during pregnancy for animals predisposed to the development of eclampsia is contraindicated due to the likelihood of disturbance of calcium homeostasis.

Maternal behavior disorders

Maternal behavior includes building a nest, looking after the young, guarding them, and wanting to spend time with them. most time, at least during the first 2 weeks after childbirth. Most bitches and cats have a pronounced maternal instinct, but the female's behavior largely depends on her hormonal balance, general condition health and environment. In some breeds, violations of maternal behavior are quite often observed, apparently, heredity plays a certain role in this. Excessive affection for a person sometimes becomes a source of problems during childbirth, the female shows signs of panic and “looks at the cubs with horror and disgust” or, conversely, resists human intervention, and after the operation caesarean section can even destroy the litter. Psychological stress and pain during and after childbirth can provoke the female to deal with the cubs. For the development of the maternal instinct, good health, calm familiar surroundings and, most importantly, the presence of cubs are necessary.

LITERATURE

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Jones D. E. and Joshua J. O. (1988) In: Reproductive Clinical Problems in the Dog, 2nd edn, ed. N. King. Butterworth, Oxford.

Johnston S. D., Root M. V. and Olson P. N. S. (1996) Canine pregnancy length from serum progesterone concentrations of 3–32 nmol/1 (1 to 10 ng/ml). abstract. Proceedings, Symposium on Canine and Feline Reproduction, Sydney.

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van der Weyden G. C., Taverne M. A. M., Dieleman S. J., Wurth Y., Bevers M. M. and van der Oord H. A. (1989) Physiological aspects of pregnancy and parturition in the bitch. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility39 , 211–224.

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CHAPTER 13

Congenital pathologies and death of puppies

T. Blunden (Tony C. Blunden)

CONGENITAL PATHOLOGIES

Introduction

Congenital defects are called abnormalities in the structure or functioning of organs that are already present at the time of birth. These defects, found in most breeds of dogs and cats, result from pathological processes occurring at various stages of embryonic development. Contrary to popular belief, they are not always the result genetic disorders and can be caused by various factors. The term "congenital" does not mean "hereditary", although there are pathologies that are both congenital and hereditary. Many defects cannot be detected without clinical or laboratory examination. It is estimated that a set of birth defects that pose a threat to the life of a newborn occurs in 1-2% purebred puppies. Unfortunately the frequency congenital pathologies identified only in a small number of studies.

hereditary diseases

Obviously, if there is an increase in the number of cases of manifestation of hereditary defects among animals grown in the same nursery or representing a certain line of breeding, then an investigation of the causes of their occurrence is required. For this purpose, it is necessary to collect a family history and conduct an analysis of the pedigree. It is extremely important to establish which of the deviations are explained genetic factors and exclude carriers of these genes from breeding. However, in some cases, if the genetic nature of the deviation is suspected, to confirm the diagnosis, it is recommended to carry out control matings, which make it possible to establish the type of inheritance and the carrier of the defect. It is to be expected that genetic screening tests will be available to provide identification of major defects.

Inheritance types

Various forms A gene located on a specific part of a chromosome is called an allele. The specific location of a gene on a chromosome is called a locus. The term "gene" is usually used to refer to an allele or locus. Although any animal can have a maximum of two different alleles at a single locus, the number of different alleles in a population can exceed this figure, in which case the locus is said to have multiple alleles. The transfer of genes from one generation to another is called inheritance.

Genetic diseases may be due to the transmission of a pair of mutant genes, a single mutant gene, or polygenic inheritance. The phenotypic manifestations of a genetic defect may vary depending on external conditions or influenced by other genes.

recessive inheritance

Simple autosomal recessive inheritance is the most common gene transfer pattern. In this case, detection hereditary features difficult due to the fact that the defect becomes apparent only in homozygous individuals ( aa) that received mutant alleles of the gene from each of the heterozygous ( Ah) apparently healthy parents. With continued crossing of animal carriers of the trait, the defect appears in 25% of the offspring, while 50% of the offspring turn out to be healthy carriers. In table. 13.1 shows the calculated results of matings of carriers of a single autosomal recessive trait.

Tab. 13.1. Predicted outcomes of all possible matings for a single autosomal recessive trait

By excluding carriers of the defective gene from breeding, it is possible to reduce the frequency of manifestation of anomalies transmitted by the recessive type.

dominant inheritance

With dominant inheritance hallmark manifests itself in heterozygous individuals, therefore, diseases inherited according to the dominant type can be easily prevented by excluding carrier animals from breeding. Disorders such as coagulopathy due to deficiency of factors X and XI are rare.

Postpartum complications bitches

Uterine atony. Atony of the uterus is observed, as a rule, in bitches who received obstetric care that caused damage to the uterus or its cervix. In this case, the uterus contracts poorly after childbirth, which is accompanied by the release of a liquid discharge or a thick dark green or brown-red mass. In this case, massage and the introduction of drugs that cause uterine contractions in combination with the introduction of antibiotics may be indicated.

Necrosis of the placental part of the uterine wall. This disease is characterized by the occurrence of annular necrosis at the site of attachment of the placenta and rupture of the uterine wall. At the same time, the contents of the uterus are poured into abdominal cavity, a bloody-watery discharge is released from the vagina, the condition of the bitch is rapidly deteriorating. Requires immediate surgical intervention.

Postpartum bleeding. The bleeding that occurs after childbirth is often the result of a violation of the integrity of the walls of the uterus or vagina, often accompanies violations of uterine involution. It is characterized by the release of clots of fresh blood from the vagina. Depending on the intensity of bleeding, pharmacological or surgical treatment is carried out.

Acute metritis. Inflammation of the uterus (lochiometer) develops due to infection birth canal during childbirth or after them. It may be caused by retention of the placenta or a dead fetus for more than a day, hematogenous transmission of infection from inflamed urinary tract, intestines, and inflammatory diseases genitals or paraanal bags. Infection can also be introduced during childbirth through hands or instruments. The main signs of developing metritis are a sharp decrease in the amount of milk in a bitch, leading to anxiety in newborns on the second or third day after birth; increase in body temperature; purulent and purulent bloody discharge with putrid smell; the depressed state of the bitch with signs of intoxication. Requires urgent appeal to the doctor in order to avoid the development of septic complications.

Due to purulent-inflammatory processes of the organs of the reproductive system, after childbirth, postpartum septicemia, one of the forms general sepsis. At the same time, disorders of the functions of many organ systems - cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, etc.

Mastitis. Inflammation of the mammary gland occurs in two forms: congestive and acute. congestive mastitis occurs when excess milk in the mammary gland, which is not aspirated by the puppies. This form of mastitis often occurs when false pregnancy. When affected, the affected glands are hot, swollen, and hard to the touch. However, their timely emptying quickly leads to the disappearance of symptoms. In protracted cases, congestive mastitis can turn into acute mastitis, in which there is a real inflammation of one or more mammary glands caused by an infection that enters the tissue of the nipples during feeding through abrasions and scratches, often caused by the claws of puppies. In many cases, the infection is carried through the bloodstream. In acute mastitis, the bitch's milk is infected and can lead to infection of suckling puppies.

postpartum eclampsia. True eclampsia is a severe toxicosis of pregnancy associated with a violation of the liver and kidneys. It is accompanied by edema, increased blood pressure, convulsions. Eclampsia occurs most often at the end of pregnancy or during childbirth and usually leads to the death of the animal. Feeding a dog with diseased kidneys and liver a large amount of protein, in particular raw meat, can provoke its attacks. True eclampsia is rare in dogs.

Postpartum tetany. Convulsive state, which often occurs in bitches, usually in the middle of lactation - postpartum tetany. Most often it is associated with disruption parathyroid glands regulating the exchange of calcium in the dog's blood. inconspicuous in ordinary life predisposition manifests itself during the period of intensive consumption of calcium by the dog's body during pregnancy and lactation. Kidney diseases can also contribute to the development of tetany, as they are also involved in the regulation of calcium metabolism. Sometimes the cause of the disease can be improper feeding bitches during pregnancy and after childbirth or too early mating, when the main calcium depots of the body (skeleton) are not yet saturated with its compounds, as well as a lack of vitamin D in the body of the bitch.

Tetany is more likely to develop in dogs fed prenatal diets containing high content squirrel. When tetany occurs, protein breakdown products accumulate in the body, have a neurotoxic effect, and absorb a significant amount of calcium ions. As a result, the concentration drops sharply. ionized calcium in the blood and the excitability of the neuromuscular apparatus increases, which leads to seizures in the dog. In addition, protein metabolism disorders reduce the concentration of potassium ions in the blood. In this way, clinical picture tetany consists of characteristic for increasing intracranial pressure signs arising from the developed swelling of the brain tissue: muscle tremors, convulsions and neurotoxicosis caused by products of protein metabolism disorders. Neurotoxicosis sharply increases the excitability of the dog. Depending on her temperament, the bitch behaves differently: “digs” and tears the bedding, howls and rushes around the room, not paying attention to the puppies, or demands heightened attention owner. Then the dog develops stiffness of movements, small muscle tremor, shortness of breath occurs, eyes dilate, later a wave clonic seizures, turning into tonic, covers the entire body of the dog. She lies motionless on her side with her head thrown back, all the muscles of her body are cramped. The death of a bitch may occur due to respiratory arrest and a drop in cardiac activity or from cerebral hemorrhage. This condition requires urgent medical care.

First first aid tetany may be intramuscular injection calcium gluconate solution in the amount of 1–10 ml of a 10% solution, depending on the size of the dog, and 1–5 ml of 25% magnesium sulfate, subcutaneous administration of cordiamine or sulfocamphocaine 0.5–2 ml, depending on the size of the dog. Inside the dog, you can give Corvalol or Valocordin (3-30 drops). After providing first aid, you need to consult a doctor for systematic treatment.

postpartum hysteria. This condition is more common in dwarf and toy bitches. It manifests itself in the anxiety of the bitch, the desire to carry away or hide the puppies, unreasonable barking. Some bitches require the constant presence of the owner near her. In bitches prone to aggressiveness, it can rise sharply and manifest itself in relation to their own puppies. The occurrence of postpartum hysteria is usually associated with hormonal changes that occur after childbirth and lead to increased excitability. The behavior of the bitch usually returns to normal without treatment one to two weeks after birth, but sometimes it needs pharmacological correction. Bitches prone to puerperal hysteria should be considered at risk for developing eclampsia or tetany.

Violation of care for offspring. Such a violation of the behavior of the bitch can be expressed in licking puppies. At the same time, with rare interruptions, the female intensively licks and cleans the puppies, which leads to trauma to the umbilical wound, bleeding and often to eating puppies, which is possible both immediately after birth and in a later period. To avoid this, it is recommended to wear a muzzle on the bitch and treat the puppies with special preparations that prevent eating. However, these measures are far from always effective and, in addition, often lead to the fact that even if successful, the bitch is reluctant to lick her puppies in the future, thereby disrupting their urinary and fecal excretion rhythm. Anomalies in the birth behavior of a bitch can signal violations in fixed sets of actions, that is, profound changes in the activity of the central nervous system. Usually such females are no longer used in breeding work, as there is a high risk of obtaining offspring with various behavioral and even exterior problems.

With increasing anxiety of the dog, the bitch constantly dragging puppies from place to place, injuring them with the teeth and thereby weakening them.

Lack of care for puppies can be expressed in the fact that the bitch does not pay attention to newborn puppies, leaves the nest, and sometimes actively resists when they try to bring her to the nest. More often this condition occurs in primipara bitches, especially if they are strongly attached to the owner and caressed. Sometimes the reason for refusing to care for puppies can be a low level of the hormone prolactin in the blood and the lack of milk in the bitch.

Refusal to feed, throwing the puppy out of the nest, attempts to crush the puppy with the weight of his own body often indicate that the viability of the puppy is significantly reduced.

In all cases of violation of care for offspring, help from the owner of the bitch is needed. It must be laid down, calmed down, gently put the puppies and help them to suckle. Until the bitch begins to take care of the puppies on her own, she should not be left unattended.

Inversion of the stomach. In bitches of large breeds of loose constitution, such as Bloodhounds, in the postpartum period, gastric volvulus easily occurs. This is due to the fact that stretched during pregnancy abdominal Press and the ligaments that support the stomach do not immediately restore their tone after childbirth. Therefore, a careless movement of the dog or a stomach full of food can easily lead to a change in position and volvulus.

In this regard, bitches of large and disease-prone breeds need close attention in postpartum period. These dogs should be fed small, high-calorie meals postpartum and avoid gas-forming foods, such as whole milk.