HORMONAL INDUCTION OF ABORTION OF A MUMMIFIED FETUS IN A BREEDING WEIMARANER BITCH

Abstract

The case describes a four-year-old Weimaraner bitch with fetal death resulting in the resorption of two gestation sacks and mummification of a fetus on day 30 of gestation. An ultrasound diagnostic on the 22nd day post-ovulation showed three normal gestation sacks. An ultrasound check-up 3 days later showed only one gestation sack with no heartbeat observed, while the diameter of the gestation sack did not correspond to the gestation period. The uterine wall was intact and the ovaries had corpus luteum bilaterally. The clinical status of the patient was physiological. On the 32nd day post-ovulation, an ultrasound showed a big solid cyst on the left ovary. At the bifurcation of the uterus, there was a solid mass (2.56 cm x 3.18 cm) with a lack of fetal fluid. The mass corresponded to mummified fetus. The progesterone level on day 34 of gestation was 31.94 ng/mL. The bitch was negative for Canine herpes virus, Canine bocavirus and Brucella canis. The induction of the abortion started on day 34 post-ovulation with a combination of antiprogestine (Alizine® and synthetic prostaglandins, (Estrumate®) given subcutaneously and intravaginally administered (Cytotec®). There were certain side effects during therapy, such as tachypnea, polydipsia, nesting and fever. During therapy, the uterine wall, embryo mass, ovaries and eventual occurrence of fluid in the lumen of the uterus were monitored daily. On the 57th day post-ovulation, a mucosal dark discharge occurred. Ultrasound findings showed no presence of fetal mass persistence in the uterus. The bitch showed signs of heat three and half months after the abortion. In the next gestation, it was confirmed by ultrasound that a minimum of five vital fetuses were developing normally. It can be concluded that the described hormonal protocol is the option of choice for breeding bitches in order to avoid unnecessary and undesirable surgery. Key words: fetal death; bitch; mummification; aglepristone; cloprostenol; misoprostol HORMONALNA SPODBUDITEV SPLAVA MUMIFICIRANEGA PLODU PRI PLEMENSKI PSICI PASME WEIMARANEC Povzetek: Opisan je primer štiriletne plemenske psice pasme weimaranec, pri kateri je prišlo do smrti več plodov, kar je povzročilo resorpcijo dveh gestacijskih vreč in mumifikacijo ploda 30. dan brejosti. Ultrazvočna diagnostika 22 dni po ovulaciji je pokazala tri običajne gestacijske vrečke. Pregled z ultrazvokom 3 dni kasneje je pokazal samo eno gestacijsko vrečko brez opaznega srčnega utripa, premer gestacijske vrečke pa ni ustrezal času trajanja brejosti. Maternična stena je bila videti nepoškodovana, na obeh jajčnikih pa so bila opazna rumena telesca. Klinični status psice je kazal fiziološke znake brejosti. 32. dan po ovulaciji je ultrazvok pokazal veliko trdno cisto levega jajčnika. Na razcepu maternice je bila trdna masa (2,56 cm x 3,18 cm) s pomanjkanjem fetalne tekočine. Masa je ustrezala mumificiranemu plodu. Raven progesterona v krvi 34. dan brejosti je bila 31,94 ng/ml. Psica je bila negativna na pasji herpesvirus, pasji bokavirus in na Brucello canis. S spodbuditvijo splava smo pričeli 34 dni po ovulaciji s kombinacijo antiprogestina (Alizine®) in sintetičnih prostaglandinov (Estrumate®), ki smo jih dajali podkožno in intravaginalno (Cytotec®). Med zdravljenjem so se pokazali nekateri neželeni učinki, kot so tahipneja, polidipsija, gnezdenje in povišana telesna temperatura. Med zdravljenjem smo dnevno spremljali debelino maternične stene, maso plodu, jajčnike in morebitno pojavljanje tekočine v lumnu maternice. 57. dan po ovulaciji se je pojavil sluzast temen izcedek. Ultrazvočni pregled ni pokazal prisotnosti mase plodu v maternici. Psica je kazala znake gonitve tri mesece in pol po splavu. V naslednji brejosti je bilo z ultrazvokom potrjeno, da se normalno razvija najmanj pet vitalnih plodov. Glede na rezultate lahko predlagamo opisano hormonsko zdravljenje kot možno izbiro za spodbujen splav pri plemenskih psicah, da bi se izognili nepotrebnim in neželenim operacijam. Ključne besede: smrt plodov; psica; mumifikacija; aglepriston; kloprostenol; misoprostol