Expert: Norman Auspitz - 3/21/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a siamese cat who is pregnant. She is roughly 71days, however my calculations may be out. She has passed an orange discharge then pink now orange again for the last three days. I have taken her to the vet and had a scan, they saw 2 heartbeats, but said there were more in there. She was given antibiotics, and i was told to wait a couple of days. It's now a couple of days! She seems happy, eating well. Have you any idea when she may deliver? Could she be given an injection to start labour? I want to avoid c-section if posible.

ANSWER: Lisa,

71 days is way too long,  If you counted days from the second day of breeding, 69 is as long as you should ever wait.

As to inducing labor, unless the vet goes along with this option, it can be life threatening to the queen ending up with a possible ruptured uterus.  An X-ray to find out what is going on may be the best approach so that, if inducing labor is a good option, it can be exercised.

The "orange" discharge occur right before birth or as much as a week earlier.

I would go back and re-count the days since the breeding to double check where she really is in her pregnancy!

Let me know what develops, please.

Best regards... Norm.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, my cat delivered yesterday, 4 kittens all stillborn. I am totally devistated.

ANSWER: Lisa,

I am so, so sorry for your loss.  Believe me, I understand that awful feeling in the pit of the stomach when the queen delivers all stillborn kittens!!!!!!!!!!

Please accept my deepest condolences.

Sad regards... Norm.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thankyou Norman, That was my first litter. Could I ask for your opinion on breeding from her again?. She is 5 years old and I bought her at xmas from a breeder who said she was 3 years, when I checked the paperwork I found out she is 5. Do you think she is too old? I would not want her to die and even If I have her spayed i will keep her as a pet because we have bonded really well.

Answer
Lisa,

I would try one more time, but keep a close watch on her.  If she has trouble a second time, it is time to get her spayed.  Normally we do not breed our cats much past age 5 years, but she should be OK to breed again in about 3 months (since she did not nurse any kittens). There are all kinds of reasons the kittens may have been stllborn, and it simply may have been a fluke.

Good luck with her.

Best regards... Norm.