6-year-old female Border collie
September 1, 2010
Presents for lethargy and a tense abdomen
section content
Candidates were presented with a video clip that started in the left mid abdomen and moved caudally.
- Multiple (at least 2) viable feti with detectable heart beats.
- Adequate vesicular fluid.
- Hyperechoic thickened portion of uterus present at the cranial aspect of the left uterine horn with no luminal fluid or fetal tissues.
- Normal viable pregnancy in second trimester.
- Single resorption site.
- Finish the ultrasound examination to assess for other causes of clinical signs.
- Follow-up ultrasound in 2 weeks to evaluate for additional fetal loss or evidence of distress.
- CBC, serum biochemistry to look for other causes of clinical signs
- Successful candidates were not penalized for recommending radiographs at 45 days gestation to count fetal numbers. However, a recommendation of radiographs at the current stage of pregnancy did not receive credit. Successful candidates described the resorption site as a potentially normal occurrence in dogs and did not assign undue significance to its presence.
- Unsuccessful candidates failed to describe the resorption site or identified it as an ovary. Others concluded it was a focal pyometra. A few candidates recommended aspiration of fluid from the uterus to rule out pyometra. Many unsuccessful candidates were unable to identify which trimester the pregnancy was in.
- Overall, candidates did poorly on this question, the majority of which scored 5-7 out of 10 points.