Breed-specific ecobiometry and ultrasound factors predictive of fetal maturity in healthy English Bulldog bitches subjected to elective cesarean section

Luana Azevedo De Freitas,Thaissa Gomes Pellegrin,Stefanie Bressan Waller,Eduardo Gonçalves Da Silva,Wesley Lyeverton Correia Ribeiro,Michaela Marques Rocha,Caroline Castagnara Alves,Paula Priscila Correia Costa,Lúcia Daniel Machado Da Silva,Francesca Lopes Zibetti

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i10.19091

Abstract

The aims of the current study are to build an equation to predict gestational age (GA) and to compare ultrasound parameters indicative of delivery in healthy English Bulldog bitches subjected to elective cesarean section. Sixteen pregnant female dogs were included in the study. Inner chorionic cavity (ICCDD) and biparietal (BPD) diameters were measured at 30 and 50 days after artificial insemination, respectively, to estimate GA at embryonic and fetal stages. BPD, heart rate (HR), and intestinal peristalsis were measured at 48 h, 24 h, and 6 hours before delivery to compare fetal development. ICCD and BPD values were subjected to linear regression and parameters predictive of elective cesarean section were compared through Student’s t-test before delivery. The number of conceptuses did not influence pregnancy duration. Both ICCD and BPD were significantly correlated to GA; their formulas presented accuracy of ± 1 and ± 2 days, respectively, in comparison to that of progesterone dosage. Based on the comparative ultrasound assessment, BPD has significantly increased from 48 h to 6 h before delivery (≥3 cm), regardless of the number of pups, whereas HR has significantly decreased within 6 h before delivery (HR <200 bpm). There was not statistically significant difference in parameter “intestinal peristalsis” among measurement times. The current study is pioneer in highlighting that measuring ICCD and BPD in the formula is a useful tool to predict GA in the herein investigated breed and that fetal parameters such as BPD and HR are fetal maturity predictors.

Highlights

Parturition date prediction is an important factor to help planning cesarean sections, even in unknown-coverage cases.It is known that gestation duration in domestic dogs can range from 58 to 71 days after the mating day (Concannon et al., 1989)
2.1 Research The current research is an experimental study of quantitative nature (Pereira et al, 2018) aimed at evaluating ultrasound data and at building an equation predictive of gestational age in canine bitches subjected to elective cesarean section
Two of them presented prenatal death due to mummification, and six presented birth abnormalities featured by fetal hydrops, eventration, and cleft lip

Summary

Introduction

Parturition date prediction is an important factor to help planning cesarean sections, even in unknown-coverage cases.It is known that gestation duration in domestic dogs can range from 58 to 71 days after the mating day (Concannon et al., 1989). This method enables diagnosing early pregnancy, identifying gestational abnormalities, assessing fetal viability and development (Lopate, 2008; Davidson & Baker, 2009; Lamm & Makloki, 2012; Nyland & Mattoon, 2015; Freitas et al, 2016), as well as defining gestational age based on fetal structures and ecobiometry (Luvoni & Beccaglia, 2006) It is essential determining gestational age in an accurate manner by applying transabdominal ultrasound in canine bitches to help planning parturition and postpartum management, carrying out elective cesarean section, as well as knowing the complete fetal formation time (Kutzler et al, 2003). Ecobiometric studies have been used to estimate gestational age in different small-, medium-, and large-sized dog breeds (Lopate, 2008; Michel et al, 2011; Beccaglia & Luvoni, 2012), such as Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever (England et al, 1990), German Shepherd (Groppetti et al, 2015), Jack Russell terrier and Golden Retriever-Irish Setter crossbreed (Luvoni & Grioni 2000)

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