Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood clotting changes in dogs with ACTH-dependent Cushing's disease
By Romão, F G et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2024·Department of Veterinary Clinics, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of coagulation profile in dogs with ACTH-dependent hyperadrenocorticism compared to healthy dogs by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 25 dogs with Cushing's disease (ACTH-dependent hyperadrenocorticism) showed signs of increased blood clotting compared to 28 healthy dogs. Symptoms of this condition can include excessive thirst, increased urination, and a pot-bellied appearance. Tests revealed that about 32% of the affected dogs had a hypercoagulable state, meaning their blood was more likely to clot than normal. This was linked to higher levels of fibrinogen (a protein involved in blood clotting) and changes in other blood parameters. Understanding these changes can help veterinarians manage the risk of blood clots in dogs with Cushing's disease.
People also search for: dog Cushing's disease symptoms · dog blood clotting issues · treatment for hyperadrenocorticism in dogs
Abstract
Despite their low morbidity, thromboembolic events in hyperadrenocorticism are associated with high mortality. Identifying the main hemostatic abnormalities will improve the prophylactic approach of these canine patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate hemostatic alterations related with ACTH-dependent HAC and its association with hypercoagulable state. For this purpose, 25 dogs diagnosed with ACTH-dependent HAC were compared with 28 healthy dogs as a control group. The hemostatic variables included platelet count, antithrombin, fibrinogen, D-dimer, PT, aPTT, rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and platelet aggregation. Results showed a hypercoagulable state in 32% (8/25) dogs by ROTEM, which had at least 2 of the next features: decreased coagulation time (CT) or clot formation time (CFT) on INTEM (5/25) or EXTEM (4/25); increased maximum clot firmness (MCF) on INTEM (9/25), EXTEM (6/25) and FIBTEM (9/25). These same variables had a significant difference (P≤ 0.05) compared with the control group, as well as the parameters of α-angle and CT. Median fibrinogen levels (310 vs.178 mg/dL), mean platelet aggregation (11.1 vs. 7.9 Ohms), median platelet count (360 vs. 225 ×10/µL) and mean antithrombin activity (140 vs. 119%) were increased in ACTH-dependent HAC dogs compared to control group. PT (7.1 vs. 8.0 seconds) and aPTT (11.6 vs. 15.2 seconds) were also shortened in ACTH-dependent HAC dogs. Our findings confirm the presence of a hypercoagulable tendency in dogs with HAC. Although multifactorial, fibrinogen concentration and MCF FIBTEM showed the relevance of this protein for hypercoagulability in HAC.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38777303/