Evaluation of Hemostatic Function with Thromboelastography in Dogs with Hypercoagulable Diseases

Abstract

Thromboembolic complications are increasing in veterinary medicine. Thromboelastography (TEG) is a more comprehensive method for assessing the clotting process than standard plasma-based coagulation tests. This study compared the ability of TEG and standard coagulation tests to analyze the overall hemostatic state of dogs. The study involved 40 dogs with underlying diseases that predispose to hypercoagulability, including neoplasia, hyperadrenocorticism, immune-mediated diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, and protein-losing nephropathies and enteropathies, and 20 healthy dogs. Their overall hemostatic functional state was evaluated by TEG and routine coagulation assays, including activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, platelet count, and D-dimer concentration. TEG analysis showed significant differences in clot formation time, α angle, and maximum amplitude (MA) between diseased and control dogs (P ＜ 0.001 each). Increased MA was the most frequent abnormality on TEG and was indicative of hypercoagulability. TEG was useful in detecting hemostatic dysfunction in dogs with diseases associated with hypercoagulability. Dogs with TEG tracings indicative of hypercoagulability are likely to be in procoagulant states. Future prospective studies are needed to evaluate whether TEG tracings indicative of hypercoagulability are predictive of thrombosis in dogs.