Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Arterial blood clots in a cat with temporary heart thickening
By Vollmar, C et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2024·Small Animal Clinic (Internal Medicine), Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Arterial thromboembolism in a cat with transient myocardial thickening.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A one-year-old male cat suddenly lost the ability to use his back legs and showed signs of heart failure. After tests revealed thickening of the heart muscle and other issues, the vet started him on medications to improve blood flow and manage his heart condition. Within a week, he began to regain movement in one leg, and by ten days, he could use both legs again. After three weeks of treatment, he went home with a plan for ongoing medication. Remarkably, five months later, his heart condition improved significantly, and he has remained healthy ever since.
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Abstract
Feline arterial thromboembolism has been reported to be secondary to various feline cardiomyopathies; however, it has not been described in cats with transient myocardial thickening. A previously healthy, one-year-old, castrated male cat presented with acute paraparesis and congestive heart failure. Echocardiography revealed asymmetric left ventricular free wall thickening and left atrial enlargement. Antithrombotic treatment and cardiac medication resulted in reperfusion and mobility on day seven in one limb and on day 10 in the other. Different complications were managed successfully, including worsening acute kidney injury, inflammation, pleural effusion, and anemia. After three weeks, the cat was discharged and prescribed oral antithrombotic drugs (clopidogrel and rivaroxaban) and cardiac medication. Within five months, echocardiographic findings normalized, and medical treatment was gradually discontinued. To date, the cat remains healthy at 1735 days after the initial diagnosis and 1494 days after the last antithrombotic medication. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report on feline arterial thromboembolism combined with transient myocardial thickening, with favorable long-term survival.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38342049/