Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hydroxyurea treatment helps dogs with polycythemia from heart shunt
By Moore, K W & Stepien, R L·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2001·Department of Surgical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hydroxyurea for treatment of polycythemia secondary to right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus in 4 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Four adult dogs with high red blood cell counts (polycythemia) caused by a heart condition called reversed patent ductus arteriosus (rPDA) were treated with a medication called hydroxyurea. This treatment lasted between 6 to 22 months and helped improve their symptoms, which are often linked to having too many red blood cells. The dogs tolerated the medication well, although some experienced mild drops in certain blood cell counts, which improved when the dosage was adjusted. Hydroxyurea may be a good alternative to regular blood removal for managing this condition in dogs.
People also search for: dog polycythemia treatment · hydroxyurea for dogs · reversed patent ductus arteriosus in dogs
Abstract
Four adult dogs with polycythemia secondary to reversed patent ductus arteriosus (rPDA) were treated with hydroxyurea, a myelosuppressive agent, for 6-22 months. Regardless of initial hematocrit, clinical signs attributed to the presence of polycythemia improved with hydroxyurea treatment. Chronic hydroxyurea therapy (40-50 mg/kg PO q48h) was well tolerated in this group of animals; mild, clinically silent thrombocytopenia and leukopenia were detected in some animals but resolved with decreased dosage or dose frequency. Chronic hydroxyurea therapy may provide an alternative to repeated phlebotomy for therapy of polycythemia secondary to rPDA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11467603/