Ultrasonographic diagnosis of embryonic and fetal death in bitches

Abstract

TWENTY-ONE PREGNANT BITCHES (N = 21, GROUP 1) WITH ABNORMAL CLINICAL SIGNS AND/OR A PRIOR HISTORY OF POSSIBLE FETAL AND EMBRYO DEATH WERE SELECTED. SIX BITCHES WERE EVALUATED AT 25""30 DAYS AFTER MATING (EMBRYONIC PHASE). EIGHT BITCHES WERE EVALUATED AT 35-45 DAYS AFTER MATING (FETAL PHASE). SEVEN MORE BITCHES WERE EVALUATED AT MORE THAN 45 DAYS AFTER MATING (FETAL PHASE). THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 34, GROUP 2) INCLUDED THIRTYFOUR PREGNANT BITCHES IN GOOD GENERAL CONDITION. TWELVE WERE EVALUATED AT 30""35 DAYS OF PREGNANCY (EMBRYONIC PHASE) AND THE REMAINING 22 AT 40 DAYS OR MORE OF PREGNANCY (FETAL PHASE). THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SONOGRAPHIC SIGNS INDICATING EMBRYO DEATH AND RESORPTION IN SIX BITCHES (25-30 DAYS) IN GROUP 1. THE FETUSES OF SIX BITCHES (35-45 DAYS) SHOWED POORLY DEFINED ANATOMY, AND TWO MORE BITCHES HAD DISTORTED AND IRREGULAR GESTATIONAL SACS CONTAINING AN AMORPHOUS ECHOGENIC STRUCTURE. THE FETUSES OF SEVEN BITCHES (> 45 DAYS) PRESENTED NORMAL ANATOMY WITH NO EVIDENCE OF HEART BEATS OR FETAL MOVEMENT. FETUSES IN GROUP 2 SHOWED NORMAL ANATOMY AS WELL AS CARDIAC ACTIVITY AND FETAL MOVEMENT. THE EMBRYOS SHOWED CARDIAC ACTIVITY AND MOVEMENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT ULTRASONOGRAPHY IS A USEFUL IMAGING TOOL TO DETECT EMBRYONIC AND FETAL DEATH IN BITCHES.