Bacteriological findings in the canine uterus during Caesarean section performed due to dystocia and their correlation to puppy mortality at the time of parturition

This article presents a retrospective study on dystocia cases in bitches that were unintentionally mated and carried an unwanted pregnancy in the last 39 years. The evaluated medical records include 76 cases of difficult labour, which is 8.3% of 914 dystocia cases recorded during the period. Of these bitches, 38.2% (29/76) were 8 years, and 18.4% (14/76) were younger than 12 months. In 67/76 cases (88.2%), conservative (pharmacological and manual) obstetrical assistance proved to be unsuccessful, and caesarian section (CS) had to be performed, in contrast to the remaining recorded cases of dystocia (in which the pregnancy was intended and expected) when CS was performed significantly less often, in 71.5% (599/838) of cases. In unplanned pregnancies, 46.6% (110/236) of delivered pups were dead compared to only 26.4% (864/3273) dead pups in planned pregnancies. p value < 0.05 was considered significant. Despite the widespread availability of the spaying procedure nowadays and its safety, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies in dogs are still a concern in clinical practice. However, throughout the years investigated here, we observed an apparent decrease in the occurrence of dystocia after unintended mating, with much less recorded cases from year 2004 (71 vs. 5). Most probably, this is due to the increasing popularity of surgical castration in both females and males, and rising societal awareness of its importance, giving hope that some improvement in the welfare of dogs has already been achieved.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Dystocia after Unwanted Mating as One of the Risk Factors in Non-Spayed Bitches—A Retrospective Study

Dejneka

Ochota

Bielas

et al. 2020

“…Besides, the work did not differentiate between elective and emergency CSs [ 10 ] and the uterus may be contaminated by bacteria of external origin if the cervix is open. In CSs performed because of dystocia, when the cervix is dilatated, bacteria were indeed isolated from the uterus of bitches after the extraction of all puppies and fetal membranes [ 14 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Bacteria Colonization of Canine Newborns Start in the Uterus?

Rota

Carro²,

Bertero

et al. 2021

The assumption that requires the uterus to be a sterile environment to sustain a successful pregnancy has been recently challenged in humans, and is still under debate. The aim of this study was to assess whether bacteria can be isolated from the pregnant uterus and from amniotic fluid and meconium of healthy canine fetuses at term, delivered through cesarean section. Fifteen dams of different breed, age and parity, undergoing either elective (n = 10) or emergency (n = 5) cesarean section after a healthy pregnancy, were included in the study. Swabs for bacterial culture were collected from the uterus, and from amniotic fluid and meconium. Bacteria were isolated from all the sampled sites and materials, irrespective of cesarean type. In most cases, different bacteria were isolated from the different sites. Acinetobacter spp., coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Bacillus spp. were frequently found while Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus spp., Moraxella spp., Macrococcus spp., Glutamicibacter spp., Stenotrophomonas spp. and Psychrobacter spp. were only occasionally identified. Our data show that uterus and fetuses may not be sterile in healthy term canine pregnancies.

“…Some question on the sterile womb paradigm are still to be resolved. In the case of dystocia and CS when the cervix was dilated, bacteria were isolated from the uterus after the extraction of all the puppies and fetal membrane [75], but Micrococcus spp. and Macrococcus spp.…”

Section: The Sterile Womb Paradigm: Still a Matter Of Debatementioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting Gut Microbiota of Puppies from Birth to Weaning

Balouei

Stefanon

Sgorlon

et al. 2023

The review described the most important factors affecting the development of the intestinal microbiota in puppies from birth to weaning. The health and well-being of the microbiome in puppies is influenced by the type of parturition, the maternal microbiota, and the diet of the mother, directly or indirectly. The isolation of bacteria in dogs from the placenta, fetal fluids, and fetuses suggests that colonization could occur before birth, although this is still a matter of debate. Accordingly, newborn puppies could harbor bacteria that could be of maternal origin and that could influence microbial colonization later in life. However, the long-term impacts on health and the clinical significance of this transfer is not yet clear and needs to be investigated. The same maternal bacteria were found in puppies that were born vaginally and in those delivered via cesarean section. Potentially, the relationship between the type of parturition and the colonization of the microbiome will influence the occurrence of diseases, since it can modulate the gut microbiome during early life. In addition, puppies’ gut microbiota becomes progressively more similar to adult dogs at weaning, as a consequence of the transition from milk to solid food that works together with behavioral factors. A number of researchers have investigated the effects of diet on the gut microbiota of dogs, revealing that dietary interference may affect the microbial composition and activity through the production of short-chain fatty acids and vitamins. These compounds play a fundamental role during the development of the fetus and the initial growth of the puppy. The composition of the diet fed during pregnancy to the bitches is also an important factor to consider for the health of newborns. As far as it is known, the effects of the type of parturition, the maternal microbiota, and the diet on the microbial colonization and the long-term health of the dogs deserve further studies. Definitely, longitudinal studies with a larger number of dogs will be required to assess a causal link between microbiome composition in puppies and diseases in adult dogs.