Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline distal aortic thromboembolism in 100 cats from 1977-1993
By Laste, N J & Harpster, N K·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1995·Department of Cardiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A retrospective study of 100 cases of feline distal aortic thromboembolism: 1977-1993.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 100 cats, mostly neutered males around 7.7 years old, were found to have a serious condition called distal aortic thromboembolism, which can cause sudden hind leg paralysis. Many of these cats had heart problems, and symptoms included heart murmurs or irregular heartbeats. Blood tests showed issues like high blood sugar and liver enzymes. Unfortunately, only about a third of the cats survived the initial episode, with an average survival time of about 11.5 months for those that did. Treatment options weren't detailed, but managing underlying heart disease is crucial for these cats.
People also search for: cat hind leg paralysis · feline heart disease symptoms · treatment for cat aortic thromboembolism
Abstract
The medical records of 100 cats with distal aortic thromboembolism were reviewed. The average age was 7.7 years, with the neutered male being the most common signalment (63%). Evidence of preexisting cardiac disease was noted in 11% of the cases. A murmur or arrhythmia was noted in 57% of the cases on presentation. Frequent laboratory abnormalities included elevations in blood glucose, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Radiographic and electrocardiographic abnormalities were common (89% and 85%, respectively). The most frequent, underlying disease was hypertrophic feline cardiomyopathy (58%), with the left atrial size (as measured by M-mode) significantly increased in the majority of cases (mean left atrial-to-aortic ratio, 2.08). The average, long-term survival in the 37% of cases which survived the initial thromboembolic episode was 11.5 months. The remaining cases either died (28%) or were euthanized (35%).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8581544/