Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dual blood thinner treatment helps dogs with aortic blood clots
By Niijima, Ryo & Ishino, Hirokazu·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2026·Kitasato University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of dual therapy with rivaroxaban and clopidogrel in canine aortic thrombosis resistant to clopidogrel monotherapy: two case reports.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male dog with aortic thrombosis (a blood clot in the aorta) was not improving with clopidogrel alone, a common blood thinner. After adding rivaroxaban, another blood thinner, the dog's ability to walk improved, pain decreased, and the size of the clot was reduced on ultrasound. This suggests that using both medications together may be a better option for dogs with this condition. More studies are needed to confirm these findings, but this combination therapy showed promising results in these two cases.
People also search for: dog aortic thrombosis treatment · clopidogrel and rivaroxaban for dogs · dog blood clot symptoms
Abstract
Aortic thrombotic disease occurs in both dogs and cats. In dogs, it typically presents as aortic thrombosis (ATh), whereas in cats, it most commonly manifests as aortic thromboembolism (ATE). Canine ATh is rare, with no standardized treatment. Rivaroxaban, a direct factor Xa inhibitor, is increasingly used in veterinary medicine. Recently, the efficacy of dual antithrombotic therapy with clopidogrel and rivaroxaban in feline ATE has been suggested. Here, we report two canine ATh cases. Clopidogrel monotherapy was insufficient, but adding rivaroxaban improved gait, relieved pain, and reduced thrombus size on ultrasonography. This combination therapy may be effective for canine ATh, as has been suggested for feline ATE. Further case studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of rivaroxaban for canine ATh.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41565271/