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Cats suffering from pulmonary thromboembolism or ATE and blood vessel blockages affecting organs like their front legs can experience serious, life-threatening complications that often necessitate hospitalization with strict cage rest until any clots have broken down or passed from their system.
What Causes Blood Clots in Cats?
Blood clots in cats arise from factors like diseases and genetics. Leading cause: heart disease, increasing clot risk. Other triggers:
– Heartworm ailment
– Protein-losing kidney/intestinal disorders
– Cancer
– Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia
– Pancreatitis
– Bone surgery/trauma
– Bloodstream bacterial infection (sepsis)
– Liver disease
– Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC)
– Hyperthyroidism
– Lung cancer
Certain cat breeds (e.g., Abyssinians, Ragdolls, Birmans) have higher clot susceptibility. Middle-aged male cats are twice as likely as females to develop aortic thromboembolism. Clot symptoms depend on location; lung clots cause breathing struggles and bloody coughs.
Treatment involves meds to prevent/dissolve clots, coupled with addressing underlying conditions.
Causes
Blood clots can be deadly when they obstruct the flow of blood to an organ or limb. Clots can result from almost any condition – including some cat diseases – but are most frequently caused by abnormal clotting, where platelets clump together more frequently and stick in blood vessels than usual.
If your cat develops an arterial thromboembolism (ATE), she could experience extreme pain and likely perish from such an ATE (artery thromboembolism).
When someone cuts themselves, their body quickly forms a blood clot to stop excessive bleeding. At the same time, these same mechanisms also promote its break-down through fibrinolysis – an unrelated process known as fibrinolysis.
Risk factors
Blood clots that form in their proper places usually disintegrate on their own through natural processes in the body. But occasionally clots can block blood vessels in the lungs and cause life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE).
A cat with PE may exhibit blue gums, eyes and feet as well as be slow and collapsed while coughing up blood – this condition cannot be reversed and likely leads to death without medical intervention for its underlying disease causer.
Your veterinarian can often diagnose the causes of blood clots through history review, physical examination and diagnostic tests. When diagnosing felines with heart disease, saddle thrombus formation may be the first sign.
These clots form in the left atrium due to turbulent blood flow due to illness; long-term treatment with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) may prevent its formation altogether.
Diagnosis
As soon as your cat shows signs of ATE or PE, contact a veterinarian immediately. Such cats will likely appear cold, painful and collapsed; their back legs may lack pulse; gums, eyes and nails may become blue; blood tests will be taken to detect blood clots as well as diagnose any potential heart conditions if this hasn’t already been identified.
Blood clots that form inside the heart may occasionally dislodge and block off blood vessels leading to the lungs (pulmonary embolism), posing a serious threat because oxygen needs to reach every part of our bodies via our lungs.
Once dislodged, these clots could then travel further afield – to cause stroke, kidney disease or paralysis in front legs; certain diseases like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy increase chances for abnormal clotting; making clot formation likely in vessels surrounding our hearts – possibly leading to even further complications.
Treatment
An obstruction in a blood vessel obstructing its flow cuts off oxygen and nutrients to that area, while toxic products begin to build up. If this clot continues for too long, its effects can become fatal for the animal’s survival and it may even result in their demise.
Clots may also break off and travel to the lungs, triggering a life-threatening condition known as pulmonary embolism (PE). PE causes tissues in the body to be starved of oxygen, leading to blue gums and eyes as well as difficulty breathing and difficulty catching your breath.
Some cats with PE will respond well to treatment, although many won’t. Cats that do recover will often require long-term medication in order to prevent another clot from forming; unfortunately, most diseases that cause clots cannot be cured so some cats will still develop them over time despite ongoing medication regimens.
If severe paralysis in the rear legs occurs due to clot formation, a vet may advise euthanizing to end unnecessary suffering.
What Are the Symptoms of Blood Clots in Cats
Blood clots in cats lead to various symptoms based on the clot’s location. Here are some typical signs:
– Back leg paralysis and pain
– Cold limbs
– Indications of congestive heart failure
– Breathing trouble
– Rapid breathing
– Reduced appetite
– Fainting
– Coughing
– Blood in vomit
– Weakness
– Disliking exercise
– Difficulty getting comfy
– Sudden rear leg paralysis and pain
If your cat displays these signs, seek immediate veterinary help. Blood clots can be fatal in cats, so swift treatment enhances recovery odds.
How Are Blood Clots in Cats Diagnosed
Blood clots in cats receive diagnosis through a blend of physical examination, lab analysis, and imaging tests. Below are ways vets pinpoint blood clots in felines:
- Physical check: Vets scrutinize signs like swift heartbeat, weak pulses, murmurs, pale/bluish gums, and hind leg paralysis/pain during the physical exam.
- Lab tests: Blood analysis seeks underlying issues fostering clot formation, like heart or kidney disease, or hyperthyroidism.
- Imaging: X-rays, ultrasounds, or echocardiograms visualize clot presence and position.
Upon identifying a clot, additional tests can unveil its root causes, like heart disease or cancer.
Cat clot treatment incorporates meds to thwart future clots and dissolve current ones. Underlying conditions are managed too, addressing their role in clot creation.
What Are the Treatment Options for Blood Clots in Cats
To handle blood clots in cats, options comprise meds to stop clot growth, dissolve existing clots, and address underlying issues. Choices include:
– Pain relief: Pain meds manage discomfort in cats with blood clots.
– Anti-clot drugs: Like clopidogrel, they halt future clotting.
– Clot-dissolving meds: Thrombolytics break down existing clots.
– Oxygen therapy: Helps cats, especially those with pulmonary thromboembolism.
– Physical therapy: Leg movement speeds full recovery.
– Treating illnesses: Address underlying contributors like heart disease.
– Monitoring: Oxygen, clotting tests improve disease management and recovery assessment.
Notably, severe cases like aortic or pulmonary thromboembolism might necessitate euthanasia due to grim prognosis and ongoing suffering.
