Alterations in coagulation in dogs with heart disease

Abstract

Dogs with heart disease have abnormalities in blood flow potentially predisposing them to alterations in coagulation. This project sought to identify the abnormalities in coagulation seen in dogs with various types of heart disease and compare these abnormalities to a cohort of dogs withnout heart disease. This was a propective observational study carried out at a university veterinary teaching hospital. Thromboelastography (TEG) and complete blood count indices were compared to dogs with heart disease (as diagnosed by echocardiography) with controls. This study found that dogs with heart disease had abnormalities in coagulation primarily as demonstrated by the TEG variables of an increased R value, increased MA and CI. We concluded that dogs with heart disease have abnormalities in their TEG indices compared to normal dogs.