Fetotomy is a

veterinary Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

procedure to recover a deceased

fetus A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal develo ...

in situations where a

Caesarean section Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or ...

is not possible.

Procedure

In some occasions the fetus may die or be dead before the birthing process is finished. It may not always be feasible or possible to transport the animal to a veterinarian with the suitable facilities for a Caesarean section. In such cases, a fetotomy may be performed. During a fetotomy, the veterinarian will dissect the deceased fetus in a way to minimize trauma and discomfort to the mother. The procedure is generally only indicated on larger animals where the size of the birth canal allows the use of specialized instruments to assist in the removal of the dissected fetus.

References

Obstetrical and gynaecological procedures Theriogenology Veterinary procedures Pregnancy with abortive outcome {{Veterinary-med-stub