Dystocia in a young ferret (Mustela putorius furo) with a possible “single kitten syndrome”

Abstract

Summary A one-year-old ferret with 45 days of pregnancy was presented for a slight onset depression and brownish vulvar discharge. Because of her inability to expulse her fetuses at the end of her normal delay gestation, a diagnosis of dystocia was established. Abdominal radiographs showed a single fetus. A foetal death was revealed by ultrasound. A surgical treatment was elected. A caesarean section was performed and allowed to remove the single fetus with normal appearance. Clinical recovery of the female ferret was excellent at 15 days post-operatively. Cases of dystocia in the ferret are rarely described in the literature. This case is original because a “single ferret kitten syndrome” was suspected in order to explain a primary uterine inertia causing dystocia. Moreover the caesarean section was a successful alternative to ovario-hysterectomy or medical management. In this case, this choice prevented the risk of uterine rupture and protected the reproductive potential of the jill.