Blood clotting problems found in dogs with chronic gut disease

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Thromboelastography (TEG) using the TEG 6s, a point-of-care viscoelastic assay, was prospectively evaluated in dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE). Additionally, the study determined whether disease activity, assessed using the Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index (CCECAI), correlated with TEG 6s parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A CCECAI score and TEG using the TEG 6s (Haemonetics®) was performed on 19 dogs with CE. In a separate study, TEG using the TEG 6s was performed on 40 healthy adult dogs, which served as the control group. For statistical analysis, normally distributed data were analysed using the two-sample t-test. Non-Gaussian data were analysed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Correlations between TEG 6s parameters and the CCECAI scores were assessed using the Pearson test for data with Gaussian distribution and the Spearman test for data with non-Gaussian distribution. RESULTS: Dogs with CE had significantly shortened mean clot kinetics, prolonged mean reaction time (R) and increased alpha angle (angle), maximum amplitude (MA) and RapidTEG™ MA compared to healthy dogs. Dogs with CE had a significant median increase in Functional Fibrinogen MA compared to healthy dogs. The CCECAI moderately positively correlated with angle. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: With the exception of prolonged R, dogs with CE have several TEG 6s alterations suggestive of hypercoagulability.