19 Feline Theriogenology

Feline is significantly shorter

How is the feline cutaneous bridge different from canine?

1. Early kittens may not reach puberty before the seasonal anestrus occurs (meaning they reach puberty when the following season comes around and they are a year old)

2. late season kittens will mature through the seasonal anestrus (meaning they can be as young as 4 months old when they reach cyclicity)

Average is 4-12 months

How does month of birth affect puberty in felines?

Seasonality and weight

What two factors affect puberty in cats?

Often 2.3-2.5 kg (toms heavier at 3.5 kg)

What body weight do kittens have to reach to come into puberty?

Seasonal breeder (long daylight), induced ovulator, seasonally polyestrus

Describe the feline reproductive cycle in terms of: how many times per year and when, how do they ovulate?

Cyclicity: February to August/September

Anestrus: October to January = NO CYCLING

Cats are seasonal breeders, meaning they cycle when there are long daylight hours. Which months count as the "long daylight hours" when they cycle? Which months count for anestrus?

1. proestrus (not as defined as bitch)

2. estrus

3. post-estrus (interestrus)

4. diestrus

5. anestrus

Name the stages of the feline estrous cycle

Estrus

This stage of the feline estrous cycle is defined as females accepting mating and estrogen is peak

Post-estrus (interestrus)

note: cats don't spontaneously ovulate. once the follicle grows but isn't bred, it becomes atretic. This means there is no ovulation, very low estrogen, and no progesterone, meaning NOTHING happens

This stage of the feline estrous cycle is defined as a period when NO OVULATION has occurred and the queen has not mated

Diestrus

This stage of the feline estrous cycle is defined as when ovulation has occured

FALSE: cats may skip from post-estrus right back to proestrus as long as they are still in the "breeding season". They only go into anestrus when the breeding season is OVER

TRUE OR FALSE: the same as dogs, cat estrous cycles move from proestrus --> estrus --> post-estrus --> diestrus --> anestrus and then back to proestrus.

Progesterone

What hormone climbs in female cats when pregnant or in diestrus?

FALSE meaning cats can be pregnant with another litter before their current is even weaned

TRUE OR FALSE: Cats have a lactational anestrus

a. increased activity, vocalizing, affection towards people

d. estrogen RISING

Select which of the activities are common for proestrus in queens:

a. increased activity, vocalizing, affection towards people

b. estrogen HIGH

c. vocalization, rolling behavior, assuming breeding position/treading with hindlegs

d. estrogen RISING

c. vocalization, rolling behavior, assuming breeding position/treading with hindlegs

b. estrogen HIGH

Select which of the activities are common for estrus in queens:

a. increased activity, vocalizing, affection towards people, rubbing on things

b. estrogen HIGH

c. vocalization, rolling behavior, assuming breeding position/treading with hindlegs

d. estrogen RISING

4 or more breedings

How many breedings does it take of a cat in estrus to guarantee 100% ovulation

When male cats get an erection, the penis actually curves forward

When spraying, the penis points backwards

What is the difference between feline male penises for spraying and copulating?

Post-estrus

This is the period in queens between successive estrus periods if ovulation does not occur. No sexual receptivity

Diestrus

This is the period in queens that occurs when ovulation has been induced by breeding or other means

PREGNANCY: successful mating = 65 days

PSEUDOPREGNANCY: non-fertile mating = 40 days

Diestrus queens are either pregnant or experiencing pseudopregnancy. What is the difference in these?

Pseudopregnancy

What is described as "non fertile mating" in a queens diestrus

Estrus: 3-16 days

Not mated = post estrus: 8-10 days

Mated = diestrus, pregnant: 65 days

Nonfertile mating = diestrus, pseudopregnant: 40 days

How long are the different parts of a queens estrous cycle

Copulation

What is necessary for ovulation in female cats?

Bring queen to tom's territory

How can you make it easier for the queen to ovulate?

65 days

How long is feline gestation?

Relaxin

This hormone will be detectable in cats on day 25 in feline pregnancy

a. abdominal "string of pearls" palpation

Which mechanism of feline pregnancy diagnosis is best done after day 21:

a. abdominal "string of pearls" palpation

b. ultrasound

c. radiographs

day 20-25

When can you detect feline fetal heartbeats on ultrasound?

c. radiographs

Which mechanism of feline pregnancy diagnosis is best done after day 43:

a. abdominal "string of pearls" palpation

b. ultrasound

c. radiographs

During weeks 4-6 of gestation, by 50%

When do you increase the queen's feed ration?

a. Feline Herpes

This viral cause of pregnancy loss in the queen causes abortion, maceration, placental necrosis, and congenital fetal infection

a. Feline Herpes

b. FIV

c. FeLV

d. FIP

e. Feline Panleukopenia virus

b. FIV

This viral cause of pregnancy loss in queens often occurs because the queen is infected prior to conception, meaning 71% of the kittens will be born with the virus

a. Feline Herpes

b. FIV

c. FeLV

d. FIP

e. Feline Panleukopenia virus

c. FeLV

This viral cause of pregnancy loss in queens causes fetal death in 80% of kittens and remainder will carry infection into later life so we may see *RESORPTION* in utero

a. Feline Herpes

b. FIV

c. FeLV

d. FIP

e. Feline Panleukopenia virus

d. FIP

This viral cause of pregnancy loss in queens causes *kitten mortality complex* (endometritis, abortion, stillbirth, poor repro performance) and *fading kittens*:

a. Feline Herpes

b. FIV

c. FeLV

d. FIP

e. Feline Panleukopenia virus

e. Feline Panleukopenia virus

This viral cause of pregnancy loss in queens causes *cerebellar hypoplasia* thru in utero transmission:

a. Feline Herpes

b. FIV

c. FeLV

d. FIP

e. Feline Panleukopenia virus

DOGS ONLY

Which of the two species is the only one that has prepartum drop in rectal temperature, *cats or dogs*

Primary uterine inertia

What is the most common cause of dystocia in female cats?

4 hours for first kitten, 2 hours between kittens (overall longer than dogs)

About how long does normal parturition take in cats?

Uterine prolapse

Whats happening in this cat?

Cats

Which animal may come into estrus 7-8 days post partum, mate, and concieve?

8 glands

How many mammary glands do queens have

This is mastitis

A queen presents as warm and painful around her mammary glands. She has pyrexia (fever) and anorexia. She is disinterested in her kittens. You treat with a warm compress and antibiotics. Why?

hCG or GNRH to lutenize and ovariohysterectomy

How do you treat ovarian cysts in queens

Ovarian cysts

What cause of infertility in queens tends to increase in incidence with age and results in prolonged signs of estrus?

Ovarian remnant syndrome

This is defined as normal signs of estrus months to years after ovariohysterectomy in a queen

hCG/GNRH to lutenize and explore surgery to remove ovary

How do you treat ovarian remnant syndrome in queens

Granulosa theca cell tumors

Incidence of ovarian neoplasia is overall low in cats. However, what is the MOST COMMON ovarian tumor on earth in all female species, which shows prolonged estrus?

Feline pyometra and cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) complex

You may see this ascending uterine infection of E. coli in middle aged cats that causes vulvar discharge, anorexia, and abdominal distention

Young queens

What age of cats are affected by mammary hypertrophy

Mammary Hypertrophy (Fibroadenomatous hyperplasia)

This problem happens to cats that are pregnant or have had infertile breeding in one of their first cycles who are under the influence of luteal progesterone

May regress after luteolysis = progesterone blockers (aglepristone)

How can you get mammary hypertrophy to regress in female cats?

fibroadenomatous hyperplasia (mammary hypertrophy)

What is this?

MALIGNANT = carcinoma

Usually mammary neoplasia in cats is *benign or malignant*?

Better survival times if the tumor is less than 2 cm

Malignant carcinoma is a common mammary neoplasia of cats. What is the SINGLE MOST important prognostic factor of this tumor?

Testosterone

What causes formation of spines on the penis in toms?

INTACT = spines appear after 6-7 months of age

Is this tom *intact or castrated*? How old would he have to be for these to appear?

Castrated

Is this tom *intact or castrated*?

Retroejaculation

What do toms do 50% of the time when they ejaculate?

Urethral collection with catheter

What is the more common method of collecting tom ejaculation?

True

TRUE OR FALSE: 21.5-117.0 x 10^6 cells should be in 0.03-0.09 mL of ejaculate in feline toms

Motility = 40-80% (remember dogs are 80%)

Morphology = 50-70% (remember dogs are 80%)

What should normal motility be in tom sperm? Morphology?

Toms

For which animal do you collect sperm with an open ended catheter that is extended 9 cm into the urethra?

Male tortoiseshell or calicos = sterile = XXY chromosome

Testicular hypoplasia is common in which color cats?

See if he has spines on his penis

How can you examine if a male tom is truly cryptorchid

1. failure to show sexual interest (bring queen to tom's territory for breeding to avoid)

2. failure to breed successfully (bad teeth or hair rings on penis)

3. failure to impregnate queen (azoospermia)

Explain 2 common reasons why a tom would not breed successfully?