Problems With Delivery? Now What?
At the Animal Hospital at Thorndale, we understand that life does not always go as planned. Occasionally our pregnant patients are unable to safely deliver their kittens at home on their own. The doctors and nursing staff in our hospital are all very experienced in dealing with problem pregnancies and deliveries. If your cat has been in active labor for 2 hours and no kittens have appeared, it is time to give us a call. Once we examine the queen (mother cat), we will discuss with you the best options for her and her kittens.
A Caesarean section is major surgery to remove kittens from the uterus of the mother cat. The surgical approach is similar to that of a spay, except the kittens are removed through small incisions along the length of the uterus, which are then sutured closed. If you do not intend to breed this cat further, we recommend spaying her at the same time as the C-section. As soon as each kitten is removed, our trained staff work to get it breathing on its own, cleaned up, warmed up, and ready to meet mom once she is awake. Most cats recover quickly from this procedure; however, if your cat was in labor for several hours before surgery was performed, her recovery will be slower and she will need extra attention and help with her litter.
Care and management of the post-partum queen
The immediate post-operative period and care of the mother
The mother has been given an anesthetic that is eliminated from her body rather quickly. Complete recovery from anesthetic may take 2-6 hours, depending on her physical condition at the time of surgery and her age.
During the recovery period, she must be restrained in such a way that she does not fall and hurt herself or roll over and crush the kittens. The kittens should not be left alone with her until she is completely awake and coordinated.
The mother should be interested in eating within a few hours after she is completely awake. Allow her to eat and drink all that she wants, being careful that she does not overload her stomach; this can result in vomiting. Her food intake at this time should be about 1 times her food intake before she became pregnant. By the time of the third or fourth week of nursing, her food intake may be 2 times normal. She should be fed a high-quality kitten food during the period of nursing in order to supplement her calcium intake.
The mother’s temperature may rise 1-2 F (0.5 – 1 C) above normal for the first 1-3 days, then it should return to the normal range. The normal range is 100-102 F (37.8-38.9 C). ACETAMINOPHEN (Tylenol) SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN TO A CAT. If the mother’s temperature goes above 104 F (40 C), she and her litter should be examined by a veterinarian for the presence of serious complications.
Postpartum management of the mother
A bloody vaginal discharge is normal for up to a week or so following delivery of the kittens. It may be quite heavy for the first 1-3 days, then should begin to diminish. If it continues for longer than one week, the queen should be checked for the presence of infection. If the discharge changes color or develops an odor, she should be examined by a veterinarian.
If she was spayed at the time of the surgery, there should be no vaginal discharge. She can still produce milk and nurse the kittens if she was spayed.
The stitches may or may not need to be removed, depending on the type of suture material used. Generally, if the stitches are visible, they will have to be removed. Removal should occur at 10-14 days after surgery.
For more information about newborn kittens follow this link.