The domestic cat is easily the world’s most popular pet, outnumbering dogs . This popularity is undoubtedly helped by the fact that cats are simultaneously affectionate and self-reliant. They need virtually no training. They groom themselves ,can be left alone without pining for their owners, but most nonetheless greet us affectionately when we get home. Cats are long day breeders that means they show estrus mainly during spring when day length increases .Estrus cycle is slight different than rest of domestic animals .There are five stages of estrus cycle include proestrus, estrus, post estrus, diestrus and anestrus.The lengh of estrus cycle is 17 days and lengh of estrous is 9days on average. This powerpoint presents the common methods of pregnancy diagnosis in cat. It is however difficult to confirm diagnosis without ultrasound but many other practices are done.

1. PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS IN
QUEEN
Prepared by:
Manisha Ghimire
B.V.SC And A.H
7th semester
Roll no: 20
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2. INTRODUCTION
➢ Long day breeders.
➢ Induced ovulators.
➢ Shows estrus behavior even after mating .
superfecundation , superfetation common
➢ Gestation period : 58-63 days
➢ Pluriparous
➢ Pseudopregnancy if bred by infertile male.(no detectable
signs)
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4. ➢ Noticeable weight gain in a few weeks.
➢ Swollen, pink nipples that appear around
three weeks into the pregnancy
➢ Vomiting (morning sickness like in humans)
➢ Increased appetite
➢ Sleeping more
➢ being more affectionate 4

5. ULTRASOUND
B mode ultrasound most commonly used
Using ultrasonography with a 12.5 MHz probe following changes
detected
➢ The embryonic vesicles identified on day 11.
➢ The embryo appeared on day 15 or 16.
➢ The visualisation of certain organs eg the limbs, neural tube
and stomach visible from days 19, 20 and 26, respectively
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6. ➢ Uterus enlarged can be detected at first week of
pregnancy
➢ Fetal viability can be assessed by cardiac activity detected
from third week onwards.
➢ The crown-rump lengths of the fetal kittens are often able
to be detected on ultrasound scan
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7. During the later weeks of her pregnancy,
➢ Anxious and pace around.
➢ Start nesting during her seventh week of pregnancy
➢ Close to giving birth, there could be red-coloured
discharge on vulva (the outside of her genitals).
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8. ABDOMINAL PALPATION
➢ Time to perform :16-26 days post breeding
➢ Conceptuses are detected as individual turgid spherical swellings
➢ Conceptuses can be palpated as early as 13 days but can be
confused with fecal boluses.
➢ After six weeks , abdomen markedly distended in size ,conceptuses
increase in size, elongate and merge , so difficult to palpate. 8

9. ABDOMINAL X-RAY
The bones of fetal kittens become mineralized (calcified) at around day
40-45.
➢ Before this 40-45 day stage of cat gestation, pregnancy diagnosis
using radiography is generally inaccurate.
➢ subjective impression of an enlarged uterus may be seen, but this
does not necessarily indicate that the animal is pregnant (other
disease conditions besides pregnancy can produce enlargement of
the uterus). 9

10. RELAXIN ASSAYS - A BLOOD
TEST
➢ Relaxin is secreted by the placental unit of the pregnant uterus
after about the 20-25 day stage of cat pregnancy.
➢ It is "pregnancy specific" and its presence indicates that the
kitten fetuses are at least 20-25 days old (fetal age).
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