Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood and clotting test results in cats with liver shunts
By Tzounos, Caitlin E et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2017·1 Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Haematology and coagulation profiles in cats with congenital portosystemic shunts.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS), a condition where blood bypasses the liver, were studied to see how their blood counts and clotting times were affected before and after surgery. Most of the cats showed low levels of certain blood components before surgery, but after the procedure, their blood counts improved significantly. Despite some prolonged clotting times, none of the cats experienced bleeding complications during or after surgery. This suggests that while these cats may have some blood abnormalities, surgery can help improve their overall blood health without increasing bleeding risks.
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Abstract
Objectives The objectives of this study were, first, to report the haematological parameters and coagulation times for cats with a congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) and the influence of surgical shunt attenuation on these parameters; and, second, to identify any association between prolongation in coagulation profiles and incidence of perioperative haemorrhage. Methods This was a retrospective clinical study using client-owned cats with a CPSS. Signalment, shunt type (extra- or intrahepatic), degree of shunt attenuation (complete or partial), haematological parameters, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) test results, and occurrence of any perioperative clinical bleeding complications were recorded for cats undergoing surgical treatment of a CPSS at the Royal Veterinary College, UK, between 1994 and 2011. Results Forty-two cats were included. Thirty-six (85.7%) had an extrahepatic CPSS and six (14.3%) had an intrahepatic CPSS. Preoperatively, mean cell volume (MCV) and mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) were below the reference interval (RI) in 32 (76.2%) and 31 (73.8%) cats, respectively. Red blood cell count and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were above the RI in 10 (23.8%) and eight (19.1%) cats, respectively. Postoperatively, there were significant increases in haematocrit ( P = 0.044), MCV ( P = 0.008) and MCH ( P = 0.002). Despite the significant increase in MCV postoperatively, the median MCV postoperatively was below the RI, indicating persistence of microcytosis. Preoperatively, PT was above the upper RI in 14 cats (87.5%), and aPTT was above the upper RI in 11 cats (68.8%). No cat demonstrated a perioperative clinical bleeding complication. Conclusions and relevance Cats with a CPSS are likely to present with a microcytosis, but rarely present with anaemia, leukocytosis or thrombocytopenia. Surgical attenuation of the CPSS results in a significant increase in the HCT and MCV. Coagulation profiles in cats with a CPSS are likely to be prolonged, irrespective of shunt type, but do not appear to be associated with an increased risk of clinical bleeding.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29171354/