Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine hydrops fetalis seen on ultrasound often resolves before birth
By Hopper, B J et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2004·School of Veterinary Clinical Science, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spontaneous antenatal resolution of canine hydrops fetalis diagnosed by ultrasound.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of pregnant dogs was found to have a rare condition called hydrops fetalis, which is an abnormal buildup of fluid around the fetuses, diagnosed through ultrasound. This condition was observed in 16 different litters, with Pugs being particularly affected. While some pregnancies ended in abortion or stillbirth, none of the surviving puppies showed signs of hydrops fetalis at birth. The study highlighted that this condition could resolve on its own before delivery, and the overall health of the puppies varied, with some experiencing congenital issues.
People also search for: dog pregnancy ultrasound results · pug pregnancy complications · hydrops fetalis in dogs · puppy stillbirth causes
Abstract
A previously unreported syndrome of transient mid-gestational hydrops fetalis identified by ultrasound was diagnosed in 16 litters of 16 different dogs between November 1999 and May 2002. During this study period, a total of 161 canine pregnancies were diagnosed by ultrasound. A 17th litter of eight fetuses developed similar ultrasonographic changes concurrently with maternal systemic mastocytosis and subsequently spontaneously aborted. No pups were born with clinical signs of hydrops fetalis. Fetal resorption in the affected litters was 7/95 (7.4 per cent) and 8/95 (8.4 per cent) aborted. Of the fetuses that survived to term, there were 7/88 (8 per cent) stillbirths. Neonatal mortality rate in the affected litters was 15 per cent (11/73) and the incidence of congenital abnormalities was 7/73 (9.6 per cent). Pugs were significantly (22.8 times) more likely to be affected than other breeds.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14756202/