Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with immune low platelets treated with drugs and spleen removal
By Kennils, Josh M & Wilson, Helen E·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Small Animal Referral Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of Immunosuppression, Romiplostim, and Splenectomy to Achieve Remission in a British Shorthair Cat With Primary Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old female spayed British Shorthair cat was brought to the vet after experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia for three weeks. Initially, she was treated with glucocorticoids, but her condition worsened, leading to further treatments including chlorambucil, romiplostim, and finally a splenectomy (surgery to remove the spleen). After these treatments, the cat remained stable and showed no signs of bleeding for six months. This case highlights the potential of romiplostim as a treatment option for severe cases of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) in cats.
People also search for: cat gastrointestinal bleeding treatment · British Shorthair immune-mediated thrombocytopenia · romiplostim for cats
Abstract
A 2-year-old female spayed British Shorthair cat was diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) after presenting with a 3-week history of gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia. Treatment with an immunosuppressive dose of glucocorticoids was initiated, but relapse occurred within 3 weeks. Because of persistent thrombocytopenia and recurrence of clinical signs of active bleeding, despite further treatment with chlorambucil, romiplostim, and subsequently splenectomy and mycophenolate mofetil was used to successfully treat the cat for 6 months. This case describes the first known use of romiplostim for the treatment of ITP in a cat and demonstrates that although the efficacy of sustained romiplostim use might be variable, it might be effective in treating life-threatening thrombocytopenia while alternative treatments are pursued.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40525770/