Thromboembolic disorder in a dog after cesarean surgery

Abstract

A 3-year female dog (intact primiparous) overweight Labrador Retriever was presented as an emergency (fever, lethargy, and anorexia)patient. Four days earlier, this dog had a dystocia (secondary uterine inertia with stillborn fetus) that was relieved via cesareansurgery. Disseminated intravascular coagulation panel indicated marked increases in D-dimers, increases in partial prothrombintime, and decreases in antithrombin III activity. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a severely mottled spleen with multifocalinfarction. Arterial blood gas analysis indicated increases in alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Pulmonary thromboembolism wassuspected. Based on the history (peripartum obesity and cesarean delivery) and clinical manifestation, it was hypothesized that thepregnancy-related hypercoagulable state and postpartum period led to the development of venous thromboembolism. To authors’knowledge, this is the first case report of a suspected thromboembolic disorder in a postcesarean dog.