Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. Is it a physical or psychological condition? Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Create Account See Subscription Options. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription.
Subscribe Now You may cancel at any time. Keeping a watchful eye as her second kitten is born. She washes each kitten as it is born. The mother cat will eat the placenta of her kittens. Cleaning the membranes from her fourth-born kitten. All kittens are born with membranes cleaned away by the mother cat allowing them to take their first breaths.
Breeders or owners may want to know what can be done to recognise trouble early and how it can be avoided or overcome. Most cats, especially moggies or non-pedigrees, give birth without problem. A normal cat birth needs no intervention. If you are at all worried, contact your vet. If you are a breeder and would like more detailed information on birth and birthing problems, click here. The late Jane Burton of Warren Photographic supplied the beautiful pictures. All our advice is freely accessible to everyone, wherever you are in the world.
However, as a charity, we need your support to enable us to keep delivering high quality and up to date information for everyone. Please consider making a contribution, big or small, to keep our content free, accurate and relevant.
Your purchase directly supports the leading global cat welfare charity, International Cat Care. They provide cat owners, veterinary professionals and those who live and work with cats the resources, support, and advice they need to better care for cats.
Infertility in female cats can be diagnosed through various tests, including x-rays, ultrasonography, abdominal examination, evaluation of vaginal cells and discharge, and blood tests. The vagina and vulva serve as the copulatory organ and as the last part of the birth canal. They also provide a route for infections, particularly when the vulva cannot function properly due to trauma, relaxation, or deformities. In male cats, the genital tract provides a pathway for semen, which contains the sperm cells.
The epididymis connects the testicle to the ductus deferens, which carries ejaculated sperm to the urethra. Sperm mature and are stored in the epididymis. The accessory sex glands, such as the prostate, create the fluid portion of semen. Cancer and inflammation of the genital tract can be diagnosed by several means, including physical examination, laboratory tests, and ultrasonography.
Other diseases or abnormal functioning can be diagnosed by testing semen samples. Reproductive tract disease in male cats is very uncommon. Also see professional content regarding the gonads and genital tract The Gonads and Tubular Genital Tract in Animals Both sexes have a pair of gonads ovaries or testes.
However, in birds the right ovary does not develop; only the left ovary and oviduct are present in adult females. The main functions of From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world.
The Veterinary Manual was first published in as a service to the community. The legacy of this great resource continues in the online and mobile app versions today.
It may occur in any age of cat, and can occur in both spayed and intact cats. Causes of vaginitis include congenital defects, urinary tract infections, vaginal infections bacterial, viral , vaginal tumors, and vaginal trauma.
The primary clinical sign is vaginal discharge. Tumors may also develop within the vagina. They are rare in the cat and most often occur in older animals. Disorders of the Mammary Glands Disorders of milk production include galactorrhea milk production that is not associated with pregnancy , agalactia the failure to secrete milk at appropriate times , and galactostasis the abnormal collection of milk in the mammary glands.
In most cases, bacteria are believed to travel up the mammary ducts into the glands. The glands then become painful, red, and sometimes swollen. Mammary gland tumors occur in the cat, but are less common than in the dog.
They usually develop in older cats that have never been spayed. They may also develop in association with the use of progesterone medications in the cats. Siamese cats appear to have an increased risk for these tumors. Mammary gland tumors are usually malignant in the cat. Spaying the cat can effectively prevent these tumors. A complete blood count, organ profile, urinalysis, and urine culture are often used to look for evidence of infection or other related organ abnormalities e.
X-rays of the abdomen are useful to identify enlargement of the uterus. If the ovaries and uterus are a normal size, then they usually do not show up on plain x-rays. Chest x-rays may be indicated if a tumor is present, in order to search for metastasis. Vaginoscopy is the examination of the vulva and vagina by introducing a scope through the external genitalia directly into the vagina to examine the area for evidence of tumors, inflammation, etc Vaginal cytology can be performed by retrieving cells of the vagina using a sterile cotton swab and examining those smears under the microscope.
Vaginal cytology is helpful to search for signs of inflammation and infection. Cytology can also be performed on milk samples. Ultrasonography of the abdomen is very helpful in evaluating the internal organs of the abdomen using high frequency sound waves. Ultrasonography can often identify organ changes that do not show up on x-rays. It can also be used to confirm the presence of a pregnancy.
0コメント