Progesterone (P4) is the only hormone needed to maintain pregnancy in dogs. Therefore, a competitive inhibitor of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) could be a safe and effective option to terminate pregnancy by inhibiting P4 synthesis. To address this hypothesis, we investigated the efficacy of trilostane (TRL), a competitive inhibitor of 3β-HSD, in terminating pregnancy in dogs. Twenty-one dogs between days 30 and 38 of pregnancy were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups (trilostane (TRL) and aglepristone (AGL)) and an untreated control (CON) group (n = 7 dogs each). Fetal heart rates (FHRs) (measured at 12 h intervals) and serum P4 concentrations (measured at 6 h intervals) were evaluated. The pregnancy termination rates were 0% and 100% in the TRL and AGL groups, respectively. The decrease in the FHR in the TRL and AGL groups was significantly lower than that observed in the CON group. There was a marked decrease in P4 concentrations in the TRL group 6, 54, and 102 h after the initiation of treatment. The luteal expression of StAR appeared to be weaker in the AGL group than the CON group. In conclusion, although a treatment-induced decrease was observed in plasma P4 concentrations, a seven-day TRL treatment alone was not effective in terminating pregnancies. Further studies are needed on the effects of the prolonged administration of TRL with varying doses and frequencies for the termination of mid-term pregnancy in dogs.

Maternal immunotolerance is required for the maintenance of pregnancy, in sharp contrast with the uterine pro-inflammatory activity observed during parturition in several species. Correspondingly, in the dog, increased immune signaling at term has been suggested, but a deeper understanding of the uterine immune milieu is still missing. Thus, the availability of 30 immune-related factors was assessed in utero-placental samples collected during post-implantation (days 18–25 of pregnancy) and mid-gestation (days 35–40) stages, and at the time of prepartum luteolysis. Gene expression and/or protein localization studies were employed. Samples collected from antigestagen (aglepristone)-treated dogs were further analyzed. Progression of pregnancy was associated with the downregulation of IL1β and upregulation of IL10 (p < 0.05) at mid-gestation. When compared with mid-gestation, a higher availability of several factors was observed at term (e.g., CD206, CD4, TLR4). However, in contrast with natural parturition, MHCII, CD25, CCR7, TNFα, IDO1 and AIF1 were upregulated after aglepristone treatment (p < 0.05), but not TNFR1 or CCL13 (p > 0.05). Altogether, these results show an increased immune activity during canine parturition, involving, i.a., M2 macrophages, Treg and Th cells, with strong support for progesterone-mediated immunomodulation. Furthermore, differences between term and induced parturition/abortion could relate to differences in placental maturation towards parturition and/or functional traits of antigestagens.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of oral misoprostol (MIS) administration in the induction of mid-term pregnancy termination in cats. Methods: Twenty-eight cats that were pregnant for 30–40 days were allocated to four groups. The aglepristone (AGL) group (n = 7) received 10 mg/kg SC aglepristone q24h for two consecutive days. In the AGL+MIS group (n = 7), AGL (as administered in the AGL group) and MIS (200 µg/cat PO q12h until the start of abortion) were administered. The MIS200 (n = 7) and MIS400 groups (n = 7) received MIS (200 or 400 µg/cat misoprostol, respectively) alone PO q12h until the start of abortion. Blood samples were collected at the start of treatment (d0), 4 days after the start of treatment (d4) and on the day of complete abortion/end of administration (dA/d7). Results: The efficacy of the treatment was 71.4% in the AGL group, 100% in the AGL+MIS group, 0% in MIS200 group and 57.4% in MIS400 group ( P = 0.004). No significance was found in relation to the interval from treatment to the start/end of abortion and the duration of abortion in all groups. The most observed side effect was vomiting in both groups administered MIS, particularly in the MIS400 group (56.7%). Progesterone (P4) concentrations were reduced during the abortion, but not to basal levels, in all groups. P4 concentrations were significantly lower at dA/d7 in the MIS400 group compared with the AGL and AGL+MIS groups ( P = 0.002). Conclusions and relevance: The results obtained from this study showed that low doses of MIS do not induce abortions in cats but increase the effect of AGL. Although higher doses could terminate pregnancies, this also causes intense unwanted side effects. Therefore, the use of MIS alone as an abortifacient in cats is not recommended. For mid-term pregnancy termination in cats, the combination of misoprostol and aglepristone provides a more effective abortifacient than using either of them alone.

Here we present a case of complete uterine prolapse in a cat following a third parturition at the age of 18 months. Upon examination, complete uterine prolapse was diagnosed because the mass protruding from the vulva had both uterine corn. After the invagination and eversion were corrected, and the uterus brought to its anatomical position, an ovariohysterectomy was performed. Urine output at the 1st postoperative hour and eating and drinking at the 24th hour were observed. Sutures were removed 10 days after the operation and treatment ended. Ovariohysterectomy after easily repositioning the uterus by keeping it in hypertonic fluid before surgery is a suitable and reliable option for cats suffering complete uterine prolapse. Özet: Bu olguda, üçüncü doğumunu takiben tam uterus prolapsusu şekillenen 18 aylık bir kedi sunulmaktadır. Muayenede, her iki kornu uterinin vulvadan dışarı çıkması sebebiyle tam uterus prolapsusu tanısı konuldu. İnvaginasyon ve eversiyon düzeltilip uterus anatomik pozisyonuna getirildikten sonra ovaryohisterektomi yapıldı. Hastada postoperatif 1. saatte idrar çıkışı ve 24. saatte yeme ve içme olduğu görüldü. Operasyondan 10 gün sonra dikişler alınarak tedaviye son verildi. Operasyon öncesi uterusun hipertonik sıvıda tutularak kolayca yeniden konumlandırılmasından sonra ovaryohisterektomi yapılması, tam uterus prolapsusu olan kediler için uygun ve güvenilir bir seçenektir.

Sirkadiyen ritimler, canlı organizmaların fizyolojik ve davranışsal süreçlerini düzenleyen içsel biyolojik ritimlerdir. Bu ritimler, hipotalamusun suprakiazmatik çekirdeğinde yer alan ve doğal ışık ve karanlık döngüleri tarafından yönlendirilen dahili bir biyolojik saat tarafından düzenlenir. Bu ritimlerdeki bozulmalar, metabolik bozukluklar, kardiyovasküler hastalıklar ve kanser dahil olmak üzere bir dizi olumsuz sağlık sonucuyla ilişkilendirilmiştir. Sirkadiyen ritimlerin hayvanlarda üreme süreçleri üzerindeki etkileri uzun yıllardır ilgi konusu olmuştur. Üreme, endokrin, sinir ve bağışıklık sistemleri dahil olmak üzere çeşitli fizyolojik sistemlerin etkileşimini içeren karmaşık bir süreçtir. Sirkadiyen ritimlerdeki aksamalar, bu sistemlerin işlevini değiştirerek üreme fonksiyonları üzerinde olumsuz etkilere yol açabilir. Kadınlarda sirkadiyen ritimlerin bozulması adet düzensizliklerine ve kısırlığa neden olabilir. Hormon salgılanmasının zamanlaması ve koordinasyonundaki aksamalar, üreme sonuçları üzerinde olumsuz etkilere yol açabilir. Erkeklerde sirkadiyen ritimlerdeki aksamalar, testosteron düzeylerinin ve sperm kalitesinin düşmesine neden olabilir ve bu da üreme sonuçları üzerinde olumsuz bir etkiye sahip olabilir. Veteriner hekimler, sirkadiyen aksamaların üreme sonuçları üzerindeki potansiyel etkilerinin farkında olmalı ve etkilerini en aza indirmek için adımlar atmalıdır. Bu, hayvanlara uygun aydınlatma ve düzenli bir beslenme ve egzersiz programı sağlanmasını da kapsamaktadır. Hayvanlarda sirkadiyen ritimlerin üreme süreçlerini etkilediği mekanizmaları daha iyi anlamak ve hayvanlarda üreme sağlığını optimize etmek için stratejiler geliştirmek için daha fazla araştırmaya ihtiyaç vardır. Sonuç olarak, sirkadiyen ritimler, hayvanlarda üreme süreçlerinin düzenlenmesinde çok önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu ritimlerdeki aksamaların üreme fonksiyonları üzerinde olumsuz etkileri olabilir ve veteriner hekimler bu etkileri en aza indirmek için adımlar atmalıdır. Bu etkilerin ortaya çıkmasında rol oynayan mekanizmaları daha iyi anlamak ve hayvanlarda üreme sağlığını iyileştirmek için daha fazla araştırmaya ihtiyaç vardır.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) level increases in conditions such as infection, tissue damage and trauma and is not specific to a disease but provides information about the presence and severity of inflammation. As a life-threating conditions pyometra usually causes systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and therefore may lead an increase in SAA levels. The present study was designed to determine SAA levels in cats with pyometra that developed SIRS, and to demonstrate the diagnostic value of SAA by comparing it with hematological and biochemical parameters as well as SIRS criteria. For this purpose, data were used from cats with open-cervix pyometra (OP, n=6) and closed-cervix pyometra (CP, n=6), which were identified as having developed SIRS and were admitted to hospital as well as from healthy cats brought in for routine neutering, which were identified to be in the diestrus phase of the sexual cycle (DE, n=6). Cats with pyometra had higher SAA levels and leukocytosis compared to cats in the DE group (P= 0.002 and P= 0.000, respectively). The highest SAA level was detected in the CP group (168.6 µg/ml) and this level is statistically significant compared to the other groups (P= 0.028). While there was no correlation between SAA levels and SIRS criteria, SAA levels were negatively correlated with both AST (P= 0.045, rs=-0.478) and GGT (P= 0.019, rs= -0.548). In the study, it was determined that sepsis and SIRS progressed with different symptoms in cats and SIRS criteria were less specific in cats. It was concluded that SAA levels may be an important marker in closed-cervix pyometra cases. We think that the study data are promising but further and comprehensive studies are needed considering the number of patients included in the study.