Surgical management of dystocia coexisting with pyometra in a domestic female cat

Abstract A 2‐year‐old, domestic, female cat presented with severe straining, anorexia for 24 hours, vomiting, abdominal and mammary gland swelling, brownish‐coloured vulvar discharge, and a history of mating. Haematobiochemical examination revealed mild anaemia and leukocytosis. Radiography revealed a single fetus within an enlarged uterus. Transabdominal ultrasonography identified a hyperechoic fetal structure in the right uterine horn, while the left uterine horn was affected by open pyometra. Neither fetal movement nor heartbeat was detected, confirming fetal death in utero. Owing to the severity of the patient's condition and the high risk of mortality, an emergency ovariohysterectomy was performed. This article reports a rare case of dystocia caused by a dead fetus coexisting with pyometra in the contralateral uterine horn of a domestic female cat.