Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Newborn Persian kittens' umbilical cords tangled in mom's tail hair
By Azari, O & Akhtardanesh, B·Published in Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine·2011·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A clinical report of entangled neonates' umbilical cord with queen's fur in Persian cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old Persian cat was brought to the vet because her three newborn kittens had their umbilical cords tangled in her tail hair. The cords were not only twisted together but also wrapped around one kitten's leg, causing swelling and skin discoloration. The vet performed an emergency surgery to cut the hair and untangle the cords, but unfortunately, the affected kitten developed dry gangrene in its leg. As a result, the vet had to amputate part of the leg to save the kitten's life. This case highlights how a mother cat's long hair can pose serious risks to her newborns.
People also search for: Persian cat umbilical cord entangled · kitten leg swelling treatment · cat hair dangers to newborns
Abstract
A 3-year-old Persian queen was referred to Teaching Veterinary Hospital while 3 neonates' umbilical cords were entangled with the queen's tail hair. Close inspection of the cat showed that the umbilical cords of 3 kittens had twisted around together and entangled with the moms' hairs in the base of tail region. Also this complex has been warped around the left tarsus of one of the involved kittens and caused swelling and skin darkness in the involved limb. Operation was carried out urgently. After cutting the queen's involved hairs the kittens were released. Then the twisted umbilical cords and the hairs were isolated from the umbilical cord and the involved leg was released from the umbilical cords and the twisted umbilical cords were separated from each other. During one week follow up, dry gangrene occurred in the distal extremity of the injured limb and consequently, amputation was performed on the distal part of tibia. Our clinical findings suggest that long hair coats of queens could be a maternal life threatening factor for neonates' life.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23569823/