Thromboembolism in cats: causes, symptoms, and treatments
Thromboembolism in cats is due to the formation of a blood clot in the bloodstream.
This clot will then clog an artery and cause serious symptoms. In cats, aortic thromboembolism is mainly the consequence of heart disease such as feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
The treatment is delicate and the prognosis is often reserved.
Thromboembolism in cats is classically manifested by the sudden onset of paralysis of the hindquarters in a middle-aged to elderly animal with a history, known or not, of cardiac pathology.
The cat is very painful and must be taken care of urgently.
This condition is a common complication (about 12% of animals) of heart failure in felines. But how exactly does it happen?
1- What causes thromboembolism in cats?
2- What are the symptoms of thromboembolism in cats?
3-How to treat thromboembolism in cats?
4- How to prevent aortic thromboembolism in cats?
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| Thromboembolism in cats: causes, symptoms, and treatments |
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1- What causes thromboembolism in cats?
This pathology is linked to the formation of a clot, or thrombus, in the blood. Usually, the blood is fluid and flows freely through the vessels. However, in certain diseases, it can coagulate to form a more or less large clot.
In felines, the main cause of thrombus formation is cat cardiomyopathy. In this condition, parts of the heart (the atria) expand.
The blood then tends to stagnate and coagulate there. Small clots form on the walls of the atria. When they detach and migrate, it is cat thromboembolism.
Most often, the thrombus leaves the heart through the aorta, a large artery, and will block at the level of its bifurcation towards the 2 hind legs.
This is called aortic thromboembolism in cats. Blood flow to the hind limbs is obstructed causing the observed pain and paralysis.
The clot can also migrate to other arteries and block vessels in the front leg, brain, or kidneys.
Other diseases, such as cancers, can induce thromboembolism in cats, but this cause remains exceptional.
The mechanism of thrombus formation would then be more of an inflammatory origin or the consequence of the invasion of a vein by tumor tissue that is detached.
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2- What are the symptoms of thromboembolism in cats?
They vary depending on the location of the blood clot. In aortic thromboembolism in cats, the most frequent, we generally observe:
- Lameness or paralysis of the 2 hind limbs of sudden onset.
- Severe pain.
- A coldness and pallor of the hind legs (which are no longer irrigated).
- Difficulty breathing or dyspnea (related to heart disease).
The veterinarian makes the diagnosis based on the symptoms and various examinations.
The blocked blood clot can in particular be highlighted by ultrasound. A blood test, cardiac ultrasound, and electrocardiogram are often performed.
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| Thromboembolism in cats: causes, symptoms, and treatments |
3-How to treat thromboembolism in cats?
Cat thromboembolism is an emergency. Pain treatment should be started as soon as possible.
In the second step, the animal will have to be hospitalized to carry out various examinations and to set up a specific treatment.
This is based on different axes:
- Dissolution of the clot with anticoagulant drugs
- Treatment of heart failure (diuretics, oxygen, etc.)
- Infusion
- Nursing (heating mattress, food intake, etc.)
Surgical treatment by clot removal, inconclusive, was abandoned. An improvement should be noted after 48 hours. However, full recovery can take more than a month.
This occurs in 30 to 80% of cases depending on the intensity of the initial symptoms.
4- How to prevent aortic thromboembolism in cats?
Prevention is essential to avoid this painful condition whose prognosis is always reserved. It involves the regular administration of anticoagulant drugs (such as aspirin or clopidogrel) which prevents the formation of thrombus in the atria of the heart.
This treatment should be offered to all cats with feline aortic thromboembolism, but also to all those suffering from cardiomyopathy and whose ultrasound revealed left atrial dilatation (i.e. of the atrium).
However, detecting cardiomyopathy is not straightforward, with many cats being asymptomatic. The revelation of heart disease in cats can go through auscultation by the veterinarian (presence of a heart murmur on the stethoscope) or the appearance of symptoms of heart failure such as breathing difficulties.
The diagnosis of certainty is carried out thanks to a Doppler echography which makes it possible to visualize a thickening of the wall of the ventricles of the heart.
For certain breeds at risk, such as Maine Coons or Ragdolls, genetic tests can detect certain hereditary forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats.
In an older cat, cardiomyopathy can be linked to feline hyperthyroidism, detectable with a simple blood test.
Thromboembolism in cats is a serious condition and its treatment remains uncertain. Its prevention is therefore essential in the event of proven feline cardiomyopathy.