Pharmacological induction of parturition in pacarana (Dinomys branickii)

This case report discusses the pharmacological induction of parturition in a pacarana (Dinomys branickii), a rare South American rodent with a reproductive biology that is still poorly understood. The aim of this case report was to induce labor in a pacarana in the final third of gestation after fetal death was confirmed due to a maternal cardiopulmonary arrest lasting 4 min. Using a pharmacological protocol similar to that applied in ruminants, the induction of labor was successfully carried out, resulting in the expulsion of two dead fetuses 2 h and 15 min after the administration of cloprostenol (0.275 mg; im) and dexamethasone (4 mg; im). This case, the first documented instance of pharmacological induction in pacarana, underscores the efficacy of the procedure and the need for further research to understand the reproductive physiology of the species, potentially aiding in the conservation of this and other Hystricomorpha species.