What you need to know about dystocia and the veterinary Caesarean-section patient | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we review everything you need to know about dystocias and Caesarean-section (C-section) of the veterinary patient. Dystocia refers to the difficulty, or inability to pass a fetus through the birth canal. Dystocia in dogs is defined by prolonged gestation, Stage II labor lasting greater than 24 hours, or greater than 4 hours between puppies. Brachycephlic dogs such as French and English bulldogs are vastly over-represented with rates cesarean section reported of greater than 80%. If you have clients breeding these dogs, it’s worth having a discussion about a planned C-section. Dystocia in cats is less common than in dogs, and accounts for roughly 5% of all cats in labor. Criteria for dystocia in cats includes greater than 4 to 6 hours between birth of kittens, or labor lasting more than 24 hours. Pure-bred cats such as Siamese, Persian and Devon Rex are over-represented compared to domestic short hairs.

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