Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Uterine birth defects found in cats and dogs during spay surgery
By McIntyre, Robin L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2010·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Developmental uterine anomalies in cats and dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that some female cats and dogs undergoing spay surgery had unusual uterine conditions, with 49 cats and 15 dogs showing these issues. The most common problems included a unicornuate uterus (where only one side of the uterus develops) and segmental agenesis (missing part of the uterus). Interestingly, many of these pets also had kidney issues on the same side as the uterine anomaly. If your pet is having surgery, it's important for the vet to check for these conditions, as they can affect overall health and treatment.
People also search for: cat spay surgery complications · dog uterine problems · congenital kidney issues in pets
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics and frequency of gross uterine anomalies in cats and dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy. DESIGN: Prospective and retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 53,258 cats and 32,660 dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy at 26 clinics in the United States and Canada during 2007. PROCEDURES: Clinics prospectively reported gross anomalies and submitted tissues from abnormal reproductive tracts identified during surgery. Records from a feral cat spay-neuter clinic were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Suspected congenital anomalies of the uterus were identified in 0.09% (49/53,258) of female cats and 0.05% (15/32,660) of female dogs. Uterine anomalies identified included unicornuate uterus (33 cats and 11 dogs), segmental agenesis of 1 uterine horn (15 cats and 3 dogs), and uterine horn hypoplasia (1 cat and 1 dog). Ipsilateral renal agenesis was present in 29.4% (10/34) of cats and 50.0% (6/12) of dogs with uterine anomalies in which kidneys were evaluated. Mummified ectopic fetuses were identified in 4 cats with uterine anomalies. Both ovaries and both uterine tubes were present in most animals with uterine anomalies. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Urogenital anomalies were twice as common in cats as in dogs. Identification of uterine developmental anomalies in dogs and cats should trigger evaluation of both kidneys and both ovaries because ipsilateral renal agenesis is common, but both ovaries are likely to be present and should be removed during ovariohysterectomy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20807131/