Reproduction and Production Management Practice Test

Reproductive hormones from remaining ovarian tissue can drive estrogen-driven estrous behavior long after a spay. If a cat was spayed years ago and begins showing signs of estrus with vaginal cytology indicating estrogen activity, the most likely diagnosis is ovarian remnant syndrome. Tiny bits of ovarian tissue may be left behind during the original surgery and continue to produce estrogen, triggering behavioral signs of estrus and the cytology pattern you’d expect from estrogen influence (such as cornified vaginal epithelium).

The other possibilities don’t fit this pattern. A CEH-pyometra complex centers on uterine changes and infection and would not typically present with estrus behavior after spaying; mammary neoplasia or benign mammary hypertrophy relate to mammary tissue changes rather than cyclical estrus and estrogen-driven cytology. The key clue is the estrogenic activity after spay, pointing to ovarian remnants. Treatment is surgical removal of the remnant ovarian tissue, with good prognosis after complete excision.