Premium
Coagulation abnormalities in 5 cats with naturally occurring cytauxzoonosis
Author(s) -
Conner Bobbi J.,
Hanel Rita M.,
Brooks Marjory B.,
Cohn Leah A.,
Birkenheuer Adam J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of veterinary emergency and critical care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.886
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1476-4431
pISSN - 1479-3261
DOI - 10.1111/vec.12326
Subject(s) - cats , medicine , thromboelastography , disseminated intravascular coagulation , partial thromboplastin time , hemostasis , prothrombin time , coagulation , antithrombin , fibrinogen , thrombosis , sepsis , platelet , gastroenterology , heparin
Objective To characterize hemostasis and determine if disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is present in cats with cytauxzoonosis. Design Cross‐sectional study. Setting University teaching hospital. Animals Five client‐owned cats with cytologic and PCR‐confirmed cytauxzoonosis. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Admission samples were collected for hemostasis testing including platelet count, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, fibrinogen, antithrombin (AT), d ‐dimer, protein C, plasminogen, antiplasmin, factors VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI, von Willebrand factor, and thromboelastography. Results were compiled for combined criteria used to define DIC, and all 5 cats satisfied criteria using a previously described modified scoring system for DIC in cats. The abnormalities found in all 5 cats included thrombocytopenia, low protein C activity, and prolonged prothrombin time; however, none of the cats had low AT activity. None of the cats had clinical signs of hemorrhage despite thrombocytopenia, coagulation factor deficiency (5/5 cats), and thromboelastographic evidence of hypocoagulability (2/5 cats). Three of 5 cats survived to hospital discharge. The nonsurvivors had disseminated cytauxzoonosis with schizont‐laden macrophages in vessels of various organs. Conclusions This is the first report that comprehensively describes the hemostastic status of cats with naturally occurring infection with Cytauxzoon felis . All 5 cats had laboratory evidence of overt DIC. Unlike human and canine models of sepsis‐induced DIC, AT deficiency was not found in this series of cats. Further research is warranted to investigate therapeutic strategies targeting thrombotic DIC to improve survival in cats with cytauxzoonosis.