Spontaneous antenatal resolution of canine hydrops fetalis diagnosed by ultrasound

A previously unreported syndrome of transient mid-gestational hydrops fetalis identified by ultrasound was diagnosed in 16 litters of 16 different dogs between November 1999 and May 2002. During this study period, a total of 161 canine pregnancies were diagnosed by ultrasound. A 17th litter of eight fetuses developed similar ultrasonographic changes concurrently with maternal systemic mastocytosis and subsequently spontaneously aborted. No pups were born with clinical signs of hydrops fetalis. Fetal resorption in the affected litters was 7/95 (7.4 per cent) and 8/95 (8.4 per cent) aborted. Of the fetuses that survived to term, there were 7/88 (8 per cent) stillbirths. Neonatal mortality rate in the affected litters was 15 per cent (11/73) and the incidence of congenital abnormalities was 7/73 (9.6 per cent). Pugs were significantly (22.8 times) more likely to be affected than other breeds.