Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How emergency C-section saved newborn kittens after mom stopped
By Racette, Molly·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2023·From the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful Resuscitation of Neonatal Kittens Delivered by a Perimortem Cesarean Section Following Maternal Cardiopulmonary Arrest.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old female domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet for difficulty giving birth and had stopped breathing on the way. Upon arrival, she was confirmed to be in cardiac arrest, likely due to severe heart or breathing issues. The vet quickly performed CPR and, after two minutes without success, decided to do an emergency Cesarean section to deliver the kittens. Two kittens were successfully born and resuscitated, while unfortunately, the mother cat could not be saved. The kittens were healthy and discharged from the hospital, thriving two years later.
People also search for: cat giving birth problems · cat stopped breathing during labor · neonatal kitten resuscitation · emergency C-section for cats
Abstract
A 9 yr old, unknown weight, intact female domestic shorthair presented for evaluation of dystocia with dyspnea. En route to the hospital for treatment, the owners noted the queen stopped breathing. On presentation, cardiopulmonary arrest was confirmed. The exact cause was unknown but suspected to be secondary to acute fulminant congestive heart failure or acute respiratory distress syndrome due to a large volume of serosanguineous fluid within the mouth and nose. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was immediately started. After 2 min of CPR without return of spontaneous circulation, the owners consented to perimortem Cesarean section. Two kittens were removed via emergency hysterotomy within 3-4 min. Both kittens were successfully resuscitated. CPR efforts were continued on the queen for 2 min after delivery of the kittens, at which time the owners elected to stop further resuscitative efforts. Both kittens were discharged from the hospital and were alive at last follow-up, 2 yr and 4 mo after birth. There are no previous reports regarding the use of a perimortem Cesarean section to deliver neonates in small animal medicine. Therefore, this report represents a novel treatment approach that can be considered in the case of maternal arrest during dystocia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36853916/