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Published on: September 7, 2018
Use of tranexamic acid in dogs with primary immune thrombocytopenia: A feasibility study
Gerard Olivares1,2, Mellora Sharman1, Rachel Miller3
1Department of Small Animal Internal Medicine, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, Suffolk, United Kingdom.
Objective:
The aim of this feasibility study is to evaluate the use of tranexamic acid and its safe use alongside standard therapy in dogs with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
Design:
This is a cohort feasibility study involving 10 dogs diagnosed with primary ITP that received standard therapy for ITP including corticosteroids, a single dose of vincristine, and omeprazole. Dogs were randomly divided into either the control group (n = 6) or the group receiving tranexamic acid (TXA group, n = 4).
Key Findings:
The mean time from the start of treatment until remission was 5 days in the TXA group and 6 days in the control group (P = 0.69). Two dogs, one in each group, did not achieve remission. Clinical bleeding scores were not significantly different between both groups (p = 0.43), and the median blood volume administered was 37.5 ml/kg for the TXA group and 9.72 ml/kg for the control group (p = 0.084). Three out of the four dogs receiving TXA of 20 mg/kg IV started vomiting within 15 min of administration and were given a reduced dose of 15 or 10 mg/kg IV.
Conclusion:
Tranexamic acid did not confer a clinical benefit in this small cohort study and was associated with a high incidence of vomiting. This study provides useful information for the design of future trials in dogs with ITP receiving tranexamic acid including outcome measures and safety.
