Prolapsed uterus
Keywords: uterus, prolapse, feline
A barn cat was captured two weeks after a mass was first seen to be protruding from its hind quarters. The cat had given birth to an unknown number of kittens at a time that could not be exactly determined.
Image size: 533 x 800px Copyright: Dr S. H. Cheong (cheong@cornell.edu)
Due to lack of funding, the prolapse uterus was removed under general anesthetic as a salvage procedure. The stump was then compressed and returned to the peritoneal cavity by external pressure. However, due to concerns for humane treatment of the cat and financial constraints, the animal was later euthanized.
Postmortem examination showed no peritonitis or signs of infection of the surgical stump.
Uterine prolapse in cats is well described in standard texts but it is rare. It can be either bilateral or unilateral. Although there is a single publication of uterine prolapse in a cheetah it is likely that the condition occurs in all felids. Interestingly, the condition is even more unusual in bitches, the literature being practically devoid of well documented cases.
Prolapsed uterus in all animals is almost exclusively a postpartum (or post abortion) condition. Extrapolating from the condition in ruminants where uterine prolapse is common, there is general speculation that its causes are similar in cats i.e. uterine flaccidity due to marginal hypocalcemia, secondary uterine atony and tenesmus. It is remarkable however that cats, due to their reclusive nature in the peripartum period, may survive for long periods after the prolapse has occurred. It would be extremely unlikely for a ruminants to survive under those conditions and the same would be true of sows (uterine prolapse is an occasional condition in sows).
The uterus was amputated externally in this case; amputation being more common as a salvage procedure used in ruminants with severe uterine trauma. In cats it is more common to clean the uterus, suture lacerations and return it to the peritoneal cavity after via laparotomy and internal traction. Before compression is applied to the uterus or attempts are made to replace it, the bladder should be emptied via cystotomy because compression from the swollen prolapse can prevent urination. Perhaps obviously, appropriate supportive treatment is also applied.
The author wish to acknowledge Dr S. H. Cheong for submitting this unusual case to LORI.
References:
Nothling, J.O. 2002. Uterine prolapse with an interesting vascular anomaly in a cheetah: a case report. Theriogenology. 58:1705-1712
Ozyurtlu, N. 2005. Unilateral Uterine Prolapse in a Cat. Turk J Vet Anim Sci. 29:941-943
