Selective caesarean for management of inguinal gravid hysterocoele in a Dachshund dog

Abstract Inguinal hysterocoele is a rare complication in dogs with protrusion of abdominal contents through the inguinal canal. The involvement of a gravid uterus during gestation is further a rarity. A 4‐year‐old female dachshund with 31 days of apparent gestation length was presented with swelling near the inguinal region. Physical palpation revealed irreducible hernial content and a hernial ring. Further, abdominal ultrasonography revealed the presence of one deceased fetus in the herniated part and four to five viable fetuses in the uterus. To avoid further herniation, surgical intervention under general anaesthesia was performed to deliver only a dead fetus through selective caesarean section. The uterus was sutured in a double layer with an inverted suture pattern and repositioned. The herniorrhaphy was done with an overlapping suture pattern. After 28 days of surgical intervention (59 days of apparent gestation), the dog delivered five live pups without any complications. Thus, this case reports the importance of selective caesarean section to remove the dead fetus and preserve fetal viability in a gravid hysterocoele without complications.