How to help a cat with dystocia? How to know if a cat has dystocia?

Cats are viviparous animals. When a cat gives birth, the kittens also pass through the mother cat's uterus and out of the birth canal. It is normal for a cat to give birth for 1 to 3 hours. However, if a cat does not make any movement for a long time and the cat shows discomfort, the owner needs to pay attention to it, as it is likely to be dystocia. So how can you help a cat with dystocia?

How to help a cat with difficult labor

When a cat has difficulty giving birth, you can first massage the cat's abdomen. Excessive fat, lack of exercise, too many fetuses, etc. will cause the uterus to slow down, causing the mother cat to be weak and have difficulty giving birth. If you massage the cat's abdominal wall for more than 30 minutes and the cat still hasn't given birth to kittens, it is recommended to take the cat to the pet hospital for assisted delivery or caesarean section.

It is recommended to send the pet to a veterinary hospital for examination in time to see if the fetus can be born through midwifery. If midwifery is not possible, then only a caesarean section can be considered to remove the fetus. Otherwise, the life of the pet will be in danger.

How do you know if a cat is having a difficult birth?

The gestation period of a cat is generally 52-69 days, usually 60-63 days. If the due date of a cat exceeds the normal delivery time of 2-3 hours, it is very likely that a dystocia will occur. There will be certain symptoms before a cat gives birth, such as nesting, amniotic fluid rupture, etc. A cat will moan for a period of time during normal delivery. If a kitten is not born for a long time, the mother cat is still moaning and moving around, and the abdominal contraction tension is too long. The blood sample material flowing out of the vagina can be judged as a dystocia.

There may also be foul-smelling mucus flowing from the vulva, which usually indicates fetal death in the womb or pathological changes in the mother's uterus or ovaries. The female cat may also roll around on the ground or kick her belly with her paws.

What causes dystocia in cats?

Cats' dystocia is mainly caused by labor force, birth canal, and the relationship between the fetus and the birth canal. First, labor force is caused by weak uterine contraction or relaxation of uterine muscles. Second, it is caused by hard birth canal pelvic fracture or pelvic stenosis, pelvic hypoplasia and deformity, and birth canal deformation. Third, when the fetus is too large, too many, or deformed, or the fetal position, orientation, or posture is abnormal, the mother cat's uterine contraction will be insufficient. In addition, if a cat is bred before sexual maturity, it is also easy to cause dystocia. If a cat has dystocia, seek medical attention immediately.

How to prevent dystocia in cats

Precautions for preventing dystocia in female cats: First, give cats a certain amount of nutritious foods such as chicken breast, lean beef or canned food while feeding them in the early stages of pregnancy to ensure that the fetus gets the nutrients it needs for development... Second, female cats can only be fed cat food and a small amount of chicken breast in the late stages of pregnancy, and should be fed less nutritious foods to avoid dystocia caused by a large fetus... Third, go to the hospital for a pregnancy check-up around 45 days into the pregnancy to avoid stillbirth, malposition of the fetus, etc... Do not deliberately let a cat lose weight during pregnancy, you can only control the intake of high-nutrition foods.