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Hemostatic function in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels assessed using thromboelastography
Josefine Öberg1, Inger Lilliehöök2, Katja Höglund3
1AniCura Bagarmossen Small Animal Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Insights
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with macrothrombocytopenia and increased left ventricular fractional shortening (FS%) show a more hypercoagulable hemostatic system. Thromboelastography (TEG) revealed these associations, highlighting potential impacts on canine health.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Cardiology
- Hematology
Background:
- Macrothrombocytopenia is common in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs), a breed predisposed to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).
- Thromboelastography (TEG) is a valuable tool for assessing hemostatic function in dogs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate how macrothrombocytopenia and MMVD severity affect hemostatic function in CKCSs using TEG.
- To investigate associations between TEG variables and echocardiographic and platelet parameters.
Main Methods:
- 47 CKCSs were prospectively studied, analyzing TEG variables (R, K, α, MA, G).
- Evaluated associations with dog characteristics, heart rates, blood pressures, MMVD severity, echocardiographic data, and platelet indices (platelet count, MPV, plateletcrit).
- Blood samples analyzed using computerized thromboelastograph and Advia 2120 hematology analyzer.
Main Results:
- Left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (FS%) affected all TEG variables.
- LV FS% and age influenced TEG α; LV FS% and mean platelet volume (MPV) affected TEG MA and G.
- TEG MA and G showed weak positive associations with increasing MPV.
- No significant TEG differences were found across MMVD severity groups.
Conclusions:
- Macrothrombocytopenia and increased LV FS% are linked to a more hypercoagulable hemostatic system in CKCSs.
- Increased LV FS% may be associated with positive inotropic states, influencing coagulation.
- TEG provides insights into hemostatic changes in CKCSs with specific cardiac and hematologic conditions.
Background:
Macrothrombocytopenia is a well-known anomaly in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs), a breed also highly predisposed to develop myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Thromboelastography (TEG) has been shown to be a valuable instrument for whole blood hemostatic evaluation in dogs and correlates well with different physiologic and pathologic situations.
Objectives:
We aimed to assess the influence of macrothrombocytopenia and the severity of MMVD on hemostatic function as measured by TEG.
Methods:
Associations between TEG variables (R, K, α, MA, and G) and dog characteristics, heart rates, systolic blood pressures, MMVD severities (healthy, mild or moderate, and severe), echocardiographic variables, platelet variables (platelet count, mean platelet volume [MPV], and plateletcrit), and hematocrits were evaluated in 47 prospectively recruited privately owned CKCSs. Blood samples were analyzed using a computerized thromboelastograph and an Advia 2120 hematology analyzer.
Results:
Univariable and multiple regression analyses showed an effect of left ventricular (LV) fractional shortening (FS%) on all TEG variables, an effect of LV FS% and age on TEG α, and an effect of LV FS% and MPV on TEG MA and TEG G. TEG MA and G increased with increasing MPV, but the associations were generally weak. No significant differences were detected in the TEG variables between the MMVD severity groups.
Conclusion:
Macrothrombocytopenia and increased LV FS%, of which the latter commonly increases in various positive inotropic states, were both associated with a more hypercoagulable hemostatic system, according to the TEG results, in the present study.
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