Folic acid supplementation does not decrease stillbirths and congenital malformations in a guide dog colony

Exencephaly-Anencephaly Sequence Associated with Maxillary Brachygnathia, Spinal Defects, and Palatoschisis in a Male Domestic Cat

Anencephaly, a severe neural tube defect characterized by the absence of major parts of the brain and skull, is a rare congenital disorder that has been observed in various species, including cats. Considering the uncommon appearance of anencephaly, this paper aims to present anencephaly in a stillborn male kitten from an accidental inbreeding using various paraclinical methods. Histological examination of tissue samples from the cranial region, where parts of the skull were absent, revealed the presence of atypical nerve tissue with neurons and glial cells organized in clusters, surrounded by an extracellular matrix and with an abundance of blood vessels, which are large, dilated, and filled with blood, not characteristic of nerve tissue structure. In CT scans, the caudal part of the frontal bone, the fronto-temporal limits, and the parietal bone were observed to be missing. CT also revealed that the dorsal tubercle of the atlas, the dorsal neural arch, and the spinal process of the C2-C7 bones were missing. In conclusion, the kitten was affected by multiple congenital malformations, a combination of exencephaly-anencephaly, maxillary brachygnathism, closed cranial spina bifida at the level of cervical vertebrae, kyphoscoliosis, palatoschisis, and partial intestinal atresia. The importance of employing imaging techniques cannot be overstated when it comes to the accurate diagnosis of neural tube defects.

Dead or Alive? A Review of Perinatal Factors That Determine Canine Neonatal Viability

Simple Summary

The article summarizes the current knowledge on factors related to pregnancy, parturition, and newborns that affect the health status of a puppy and determine its chances for survival and development. The detailed information is provided in terms of breed predispositions, objectives of pregnancy monitoring, potential sources of complications, and veterinary advances in care and treatment of perinatal conditions. Successful pregnancy outcomes still pose challenges in veterinary neonatology; thus, publications presenting the current state of knowledge in this field are in demand.

Abstract

The perinatal period has a critical impact on viability of the newborns. The variety of factors that can potentially affect the health of a litter during pregnancy, birth, and the first weeks of life requires proper attention from both the breeder and the veterinarian. The health status of puppies can be influenced by various maternal factors, including breed characteristics, anatomy, quality of nutrition, delivery assistance, neonatal care, and environmental or infectious agents encountered during pregnancy. Regular examinations and pregnancy monitoring are key tools for early detection of signals that can indicate disorders even before clinical signs occur. Early detection significantly increases the chances of puppies’ survival and proper development. The purpose of the review was to summarize and discuss the complex interactions between all elements that, throughout pregnancy and the first days of life, have a tangible impact on the subsequent fate of the offspring. Many of these components continue to pose challenges in veterinary neonatology; thus, publications presenting the current state of knowledge in this field are in demand.

Factors influencing ease of whelping and its relationship with maternal behaviour and puppy perinatal mortality in commercially bred dogs

For dog breeders, parturition is a critical stage in the reproductive cycle of the dam. Evidence in other mammals suggests that a difficult labour can influence maternal behaviour and offspring viability during the first hours postpartum. However, the effect of whelping difficulty on the onset of maternal behaviour has not yet been investigated in domestic dogs. Here we developed an ease of whelping (EoW) index in dams maintained within a Commercial dog Breeding Establishment (CBE) environment and investigated the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic factors (breed group according to size/weight, litter size, parity, whelping season and origin of the dam), EoW, early maternal behaviour and puppy perinatal mortality. The behaviour of 30 dams was observed throughout the whelping process, starting 24 h before delivery of the first puppy until birth of the last puppy. Parturition duration, birth interval, and behaviours indicative of distress, restlessness, and general activity were scored and included in a Principal Component Analysis to construct the EoW index. Subsequently, mother-pup interactions and puppy perinatal mortality were recorded during the first 24 and 72 h postpartum respectively. Results showed that EoW was significantly affected by whelping season, litter size and origin of the dam (whether she was born and raised within the CBE or brought in). Furthermore, mothers that experienced more difficult parturitions (higher EoW score) spent more time lying in contact with their puppies during the first 24 h postpartum. Time in contact with puppies was also significantly affected by breed group. Nursing duration was significantly affected by breed group and origin of the dam. Additionally, medium-size breed (10-20 kg) puppies were significantly less likely to experience perinatal mortality than large breeds (> 20 kg). These findings are particularly relevant for the welfare of breeding dams maintained in large-scale CBEs where the staff-to-dog ratio might be insufficient to adequately manage multiple simultaneous parturitions.