Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is difficult birth in purebred and domestic cats
By Holst, Bodil Ström et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2017·1 Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dystocia in the cat evaluated using an insurance database.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 22 out of every 10,000 cats experience dystocia, which is difficulty giving birth. Purebred cats, especially breeds like British Shorthairs and Ragdolls, were more likely to face this issue compared to domestic shorthairs. In cases of dystocia, around 56% of the affected cats needed a cesarean section to safely deliver their kittens, with a low risk of fatality. This highlights the importance of considering breed when breeding cats, as some breeds are more prone to complications during birth.
People also search for: cat dystocia symptoms · British Shorthair pregnancy problems · Ragdoll cat cesarean section risks
Abstract
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.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26297020/