Lecture 19: feline theriogenology

- seasonality and body weight

- around 4-12 months and 2.3-2.5 kgs

What is the age of puberty like in male cats

- may not reach puberty (weight not enough) before the seasonal anestrus occurs ---> will reach puberty the following season when they are 1 year old

What is puberty onset like for early season kittens?

- will mature through seasonal anestrus

- increase daylight will trigger cycling and then may reach puberty as early as 4 months

What is puberty onset like for late season kittens?

- seasonal breeder --> long daylight hours needed

- induced ovulators

- seasonally polyestrus --> Feb-Nov

- inside queens exposed to light may cycle year round

What is feline reproductive cycle like?

- not as defined as in bitch, rarely seen

- increased activity, vocalization, increased affection toward people, rubbing up against things

- vaginal cytology undergoing similar changes (not common in cats)

- estrogen levels are rising

What is proestrus in the queen like?

- behavior

- hormones

- 7-9 days (can be 3- 16 days)

- more vocalization, rolling behavior, assuming the breeding position, treading with hind legs = acceptance of mating

- estrogen is high

What is estrus in the queen like?

- length

- behavior

- hormones

- breeding --> reflex release of LH from pituitary

- it take 2 breedings to ensure 100% ovulation

What induces ovulation in the cat? Why is this important?

- queen gets low and male shows interest and mounts to breed

- male will bite female to help create the LH surge

- penis has spines to also help create LH surge

What is natural breeding like in cats?

- period between successive estrus period if NO OVULATION occurs due to no matting = follicle dying

- no luteal tissue on ovary --> no progesterone

- no sexual receptivity

What is post-estrus like in cats?

- 8-10 days until next receptivity

How long is post-estrus in cats?

- only when ovulation has been induced by breeding or other means

- NO lactation diestrus

What is diestrus in the queen like?

- pregnancy = luteal phase = 65 days

- pseudopregnancy = luteal phase ~40-45 days (non-fertile mating, spontaneous ovulation occasionally occurs)

How long is diestrus in cats?

- classic winter anestrus of seasonal breeder

- no cycling activity seen during this time

- Oct-Nov through Jan

What is anestrus in the queen like?

- natural breedings are the norm

- copulation necessary for ovulation (unless GnRH or hCG is given)

- multiple breeding ensure complete ovulation (after 3 days of estrus breed for a few days and many times a day)

- bring the queen to the tom's territory and allow time for acclimation

What is breeding management like in cats?

- peak concentration and duration of LH so you know she is ovulating

What is important to know for when to breed cats?

- 65 days

How long is feline pregnancy?

- progesterone is elevated (30-40 ng/mL)

- progesterone from placenta maintains pregnancy starting around day 28-32 of pregnancy

- Relaxin is detectable on day 25 (good test)

What are the hormones like during a feline pregnancy?

- day 16-30

- string of pearls

How can you diagnosis feline pregnancy with abdominal palpation?

- confirms pregnancy, fetal viability information, inaccurate on count

- day 14-15

- heart beat detected by day 20-25

How can you diagnosis feline pregnancy with abdominal ultrasound?

- after day 43

When can you diagnosis feline pregnancy with radiographs?

- clean queening area that is isolated

- keep on normal ration for first 3-4 weeks of gestation

- increase ration during weeks 4-6 by 50%

What do we do with pregnant queen?

- Feline herpes virus

- FIV

- FeLV

- feline panleukopenia virus

- bacterial

- protozoal

What are infectious causes of pregnancy loss in the queen?

- ovulation failure

- early embryonic death

- taurine deficiency

- fetal chromosomal aberration

- stress on queen

What are non-infectious causes of pregnancy loss in the queen?

- abortion, maceration, placental necrosis. congenital fetal infection

- not many clinical seen, may see nasal discharge

Feline herpes virus can cause pregnancy loss. How and what are the signs?

- in utero: arrested development, abortion, stillbirth, viable virus infected kittens

- postnatal: in milk

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) can cause pregnancy loss. What are the signs seen with an acute infected queen?

- 71%

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) can cause pregnancy loss. What %age of kittens will be born with the virus if the queen has it?

- fetal/neonatal death in 80% of kittens

- remaining 20% carry the infection into later life

- resorption and abortion

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) can cause pregnancy loss. What are the happens when there is in utero transmission?

- kitten mortality complex

- repeat breeders

- abortions and stillbirths

- fading kittens

- common in catteries

feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) can cause pregnancy loss. What are the signs seen?

- endometritis

- abortions

- stillbirths

- poor reproductive performance

What is kitten mortality complex?

- cerebellar hypoplasia

- abortion

- stillbirth

- neonatal death

Feline panleukopenia virus can cause pregnancy loss. What are the signs seen when transmitted in utero?

- bacterial causes = vaginal flora (E.coli, Mycoplasma, strep), salmonella, brucella

- non infectious causes = taurine deficiency, chromosomal abnormality

What are minor causes of pregnancy loss in cats?

- no pre-partum drop in rectal temperature as with bitch

- normal parturition takes several hours (4 for first and 2 hours between)

- pedigree litters have higher risk dystocia

What is parturition in the queen like?

- primary uterine inertia

- manage similar to dog: oxytocin, surgery, etc

What is the most common cause of dystocia in felines?

- give ad-lib food with lots of calories

- may come into estrus 7-8 days postpartum and mate and conceive

What is caring for a postpartum queen like?

- retained placenta uncommon (give oxytocin)

- uterine prolapse (manual reduction and OHE)

- metritis (increased incidence with dystocia or RP)

What can be seen postpartum in a queen?

- warm, painful

- pyrexia and anorexia

- disinterest in kittens

- +/- systemic illness of the dam and/or neonate

What are the signs of mastitis in cats?

- clinical signs and cytology

- abx and compression

How do you diagnose and treat mastitis?

- cysts

- ovarian remnant syndrome

- neoplasia

What are causes of infertility in queens due to ovarian issues?

- congenital abnormalities

- CEH/PYO complex

- neoplasia

What are causes of infertility in queens due to uterus issues?

- rare

- may get secondary vaginitis

What are causes of infertility in queens due to vagina/vulvar issues?

- mammary hypertrophy

- mammary neoplasia

What are causes of infertility in queens due to mammary gland issues?

- incidence increases with age

- CS = prolonged signs of estrus

- diagnose with vaginal cytology + estrogen levels

What are ovarian cysts like in cats?

- hCG or GnRH to luteinize

- OHE

How do you treat ovarian cysts?

- normal signs of estrus months to years after OHE

- diagnose by testing estrogen levels and AMH

- treat with hCG or GnRH to luteinize for conformation or surgical removal and explore

ovarian remnant syndrome

- signs:

- diagnosis

- treat:

- granulosa cell tumor (prolonged estrus)

ovarian neoplasia has low incidents in cats. What is the most common ovarian tumor?

- spontaneous ovulation can occur in middle aged cats with ascending uterine infection lead to this

- see vulvar discharge, anorexia, abdominal distension

What is CEH/pyometra complex like in cats?

- OHE and antibiotics

- breeding females -> can try PGF2a

How do you treat CHE/pyometra complex?

- usually young queen (pregnant or non-pregnant; under influence of luteal progesterone)

- may regress after luteolysis

What is mammary hypertrophy (mammary dysplasia, fibroadenoma complex)?

- TX of choice = Aglepristone (progesterone receptor blockers)

- Cabergoline or bromocriptine (dopamine receptor agonist)

- OHE, but does not always result in resolution

How can you treat mammary hypertrophy?

- intact cats are 7x greater risk of developing them

- early neutering does not completely eliminate risk of tumor

- usually malignant carcinomas (adenocarcinomas major type, metastasis common)

What is the incidence of mammary neoplasia like in cats?

- radical excision recommended

- chemotherapy response has been poor

What is mammary neoplasia treatment like in cats?

- average time between detection and death = 1 year

- better survival times if tumor is less than 2 cm in size

What is the prognosis for mammary neoplasia in cats?

- if the tumor is less than 2 cm in size

What is the single most important prognostic factor for cats with mammary neoplasia?

- 9 months of age or 3.5 kg

- testosterone production leads to the formation of spines on the penis = bioassay for T (appear after 6-7 months)

What is puberty onset in the Tom like?

- spines = testosterone

What is the difference between an castrated and intact toms penis?

- use of artificial vagina or urethral collection catheter

- normal ejaculate should contain 21.5-117 x 10^6 cells in 0.03-0.09 mL

- motility = 40-80%

- morphologically normal spermatozoa = 50-70%

electroejaculation can be used in cats under anesthesia. How is this done/ what are we looking for?

- medetomidine with ketamine or just medetomidine

- meloxicam for post op pain

- Tomcat urinary catheter with its tip cut to get a shorter, open-ended catheter, was inserted approx. 9 cm in to urethra, taking care not to reach the bladder

- remove the catheter and eject sperm into semen extender for motility/morphology analysis

How is medetomidine urethral collection done?

testicular hypoplasia

- congenital infertility --> male tortoiseshell or calico cat

- would have XXY chromosome

(cryptorchidism can also lead to infertilitiy)

Why are male tortoiseshell or calico toms often infertile?

orchitis: rare

testicular degeneration/atrophy (poor nutrition)

tentacular neoplasia: rare

prostatic abnormalities: rare

penis/prepuce: rare

What are rare causes of infertility in the tom?

- failure to show sexual interest

- failure to breed successfully

- failure to impregnate female

What are 3 reasons why male cats fail to breed?

- cause of infertility in the tom

- if in strange territory, which is why we want to bring queen to tom's territory for breeding

- use experienced queen, breed at night since nocturnal breeders

Toms: failure to show sexual interest

- cause of infertility in the tom

- dental or penile problems (bad teeth, hair rings)

- too much size difference between male and female

Toms: failure to breed successfully

- cause of infertility in the tom

- azoospermia: do test breeding and see if sperm are present

Tom: failure to impregnate queen