Tag Archives: dystocia

Medical professionals have special words for most conditions. One of those words is dystocia, which refers to a prolonged or difficult birth. In a previous blogpost, I wrote about one potential outcome of a difficult birth—Cesarean surgery. It’s not uncommon for veterinarians at the Schwarzman animal Medical Center to treat dystocia in dogs and cats. However, today’s blogpost will detail dystocia in a less common patient than a dog or cat: a red-eared slider.

July 12th marks Julius Caesar’s 2124th birthday. Medically, this date is important because a common surgery, the Caesarean section, is named in Mr. Caesar’s honor, even though there’s no proof he was delivered through this surgery. Often referred to as a C-section, this surgery is performed when offspring are delivered through an abdominal incision rather than through the birth canal. The word “offspring” is a calculated decision on my part. C-sections are common in human medicine, but veterinarians will also deliver puppies, kittens, calves, lambs and the occasional bird or turtle via a C-section. C-section surgery is as important to animal health as it is to human health.