Dystocia - Key Notes

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:05:49 GMT

Current Revision posted to Revision Guide For Student Nurses - Part 2 by Arlo Guthrie on 4/21/2009 12:05:49 PM

Type	Cause
Primary uterine inertia	Poor condition of uterine musculature in old, obese or debilitated dams
	Over-stretching of uterus due to large litter size
	Poor stimulus for parturition if very small litter size
	Poor stimulus for parturition if low plasma calcium concentrations
Secondary uterine inertia	Uterine exhaustion after contractions have started
	Causative factors may be as for primary uterine inertia
	Obstructive dystocia such as deformity of the pelvic bones or soft tissue defects

Type	Cause
Foetal oversize	Small litter of large foetuses
Breed conformation	Large head size (eg. Bull Dog)
Developmental defect	Hydrocephalus or Oedema
Abnormal foetal alignment	Faulty presentation, position or posture