Laboratory evaluation of hemorrhagic coagulopathies in small animal practice

Assessment of animals with a suspected hemorrhagic diathesis of unknown cause(s) should be methodical. Most acquired coagulopathies result from thrombocytopenia. A platelet estimate (from a blood smear) and/or a platelet count on a fresh blood sample therefore are useful first steps in case evaluation. If thrombocytopenia is present, the most likely causes are immune-mediated destruction of platelets, DIC, or megakaryocytic hypoplasia. These diagnoses can be pursued by further test, including antiplatelet antibody assays (for example, the platelet factor 3 tests or an ELISA test), measurement of FDP, and bone marrow biopsy, respectively. If the platelet count is normal, a buccal mucosa bleeding time test is a useful second step. If this is prolonged, most likely causes are vWD or a thrombocytopathy (functional platelet defect). von Willebrand's disease can be diagnosed by measurement of vWf concentration or activity. A normal bleeding time does not exclude a diagnosis of vWD, but suggests that the functional activity of vWf is not compromised markedly. If the bleeding time is normal, APTT and PT should be measured. A prolonged APTT with normal PT, in the clinical setting, implies a deficiency of factor XI, IX, or VIII. A prolonged PT with normal APTT indicates factor VII deficiency. Prolongation of both APTT and PT usually is caused by a deficiency of several factors and is seen most often in cases with vitamin K deficiency or antagonism. Obviously, if a particular cause is suspected from the case history or for other reasons, appropriate tests should be evaluated at the beginning. If these do not confirm the provisional diagnosis, the just-described protocol might be a useful one to follow.