Management of Neonates Flashcards
how long should a pregnancy last for?
around 65 days / 9 weeks
at what age can cats/dogs get pregnant?
queens: 4 months
bitches: 4-6 months
at what age can you first detect a foetal heartbeat?
24 days of gestation
what are the 3 stages of labour?
early labour
- contractions
- panting
- restlessness
active labour
- pushing
- birth
afterbirth
- passing of placenta
management of neonates?
determine all have been delivered
- palpation, ultrasound, x-ray
keep warm and dry
- poikilothermic
- hypothermia = hypoglycaemia = organ failure
should suckle 10-20 mins after birth
- should instinctively find teat - mother should be gently nudging
- nurse every 1-2 hours
umbilical management
- use iodine solution immediately and on day 3
- check for signs of infection and that not cut too close to skin
- it is a direct access to bloodstream
meconium should be expelled 24-48 hours
- mother should stimulate, if not use a wet cloth
- want puppies plump but not distended
general physical exam
- attempt to detect congenital abnormalities
observations of neonates?
they should double weight at 1 week
- around 10% of weight a day
they should sleep around 22 hours a day when very young
- once weened around 18 hours
movement should involve always seeking mum, often bundled together and have the ability to right themselves if they roll over
eyes will open at 10-14 days and ear 5-8 days
- some vocalisation from day 1
what is colostrum?
first milk produced in first 24 hours postpartum
- thick, yellow and sticky
contains immunoglobulins, protein and fats
- provides 90% of neonates passive immunity
best absorption into gut mucosa is up to 6-8 hours
- should receive a minimum of 4-6 feeds of colostrum in first 12 hours
- the small intestine ceases to absorb large immunoglobins after limited time
nutrition for neonates?
should suckle small volumes of milk frequently
milk production is dependent on litter size and health of mum
- should provide all nutrition for first few weeks
- if mum is unwell or a large litter supplementation may be needed
- make sure to keep checking mum’s health and milk production
at around 3-5 weeks they should start to show interest in puppy/kitten food respectively
- should continue to suckle as they wish up to 6-8 weeks
- by that point mum will likely be sore/annoyed and will encourage weening off
what is meconium?
the first faecal output produced by a neonate
- a hard, darkened plug made up of amnionic fluid and material swallowed in utero
- designed to stop faecal passing in utero
often expelled within 24 hours
- failure to pass/impaction will cause risk of rupture
- colostrum is designed to help release plus stimulation of area
signs of impaction
- restless
- straining and vocalisation
- distended abdomen
- pain - may effect ability to nurse
normal parameters for puppies
1 week
- HR: 200
- RR: 15-35
- Temp: 35-37.2
2-3 weeks
- HR: gradually slows
- RR: breed dependent
- Temp: 36.1-37.8
4 weeks
- HR: 40-100
- RR: 10-30
- Temp: 37.8-38.9
normal parameters for kittens?
1 week
- HR: 180-220
- RR: 15-35
- Temp: 34.4-37.2
2-3 weeks
- HR: gradually slows
- RR: breed dependent
- Temp: 36.1-37.8
4 weeks
- HR: 110-200
- RR: 20-40
- Temp: 37.7-39.4
types of limb deformities in young?
causes and treatment?
angular limb deformities
- knock-kneed (carpus valgus)
- toed in (carpus varus)
- windswept - one limb vargus other varus
- swimmers - legs splayed out
congenital factors
- intrauterine malposition
- overfeeding of mare during gestation
- incorrect development of growth plates
- incomplete ossification of bone
- ligament laxity causing tissue injury
acquired factors
- incorrect conformation causing abnormal stress on growth plates
- overfeeding of rich supplements
- imbalanced nutrition during growth
- excessive exercise causing injury
- lameness/more weight-bearing on other limbs
- growth plate trauma - injury or infection
treatment
- reduced exercise
- surgical repair - consider growth
- splints/cats - consider growth
- gait correction exercises/rehab
what is neonatal isoerythroloysis?
signs and treatment?
a disease that causes anaemia
- fatal if not detected quickly
uncommon - more likely in cats
occurs when a queen has different blood type to her kittens
- if type B she will produce certain RBC antibodies which are ingested by kittens via colostrum
- if kittens are type A or AB then these antibodies destroy their own RBCs
breeders should avoid breeding type B females with A or AB males
signs - usually develop within 48 hours - often had all colostrum
- weak
- pale MMs
- tachycardia and tachypnoea
treatment
- blood transfusion and supportive care
- remove from mum and provide alternative source of colostrum within first 24 hours
- once mum stops producing colostrum can be reunited
what is patent urachus?
signs, diagnostics and treatment?
a congenital condition where the urachus doesn’t close at birth
- a canal that drains a foetus’ bladder and runs within the umbilical cord
signs
- leakage of urine from umbilical stump
- enlargement of umbilical stump
- stump not shrinking/drying out
- urine scolding to abdomen/hindlegs
- UTI - fever, pain, swelling, discharge
diagnostics
- observation
- ultrasound - must be sterile procedure
- bloods
treatment - depends on severity
- surgical removal of urachus and closure of bladder/abdominal wall
- topical cauterisation - silver nitrate and ABs
- medical treatment - ABs and NSAIDs
what is fading puppy/kitten syndrome?
causes and signs?
common clinical signs suggesting underlying disease
- restlessness and extreme crying
- increasing weakness
- failure to nurse
- separate from mother/litter - not seeking them out
- unable to right themselves
- low birth weight or failure to gain weight
- hypothermia
many causes but should consider diseases of mum
- prepartum - hypoglycaemia, pregnancy toxaemia
- postpartum - hypocalcaemia, mastitis, neonatal isoerthrolysis
