ABSTRACT
Measurements of the antithrombin III (AT III) activity in feline plasma with a thrombin dependent chromogenic substrate assay using an automatic analyzer showed a high within run precision. The coefficient of variance was 1.82% (normal AT III activity) or 3.19% (decreased AT III activity), respectively. In comparison with the feline pool plasma the AT III activity in canine plasma was similar (93.7%) and in human reference plasma was lower (71.7%). Respecting healthy cats aged more than three months no distinct influence could be demonstrated on the AT III activity neither of age nor of gender (p = 0.2180). Based on the 2.5%- and 97.5%- quantile the reference range was 83.5-122.5% respecting the total number of healthy cats (n = 138) or 82.6-121.5% concerning the 116 European Shorthair cats. AT III activity of cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (n = 37) or teline leukemia virus (n = 20) as well as of cats suffering from different solitary tumors (n = 8) was not distinctly different from the control group (p > 0.05). On the contrary, a significant decrease of AT III activity was found in traumatized cats (n = 20; median = 80.8%, p < 0.0001) as well as in animals with chronic renal failure (n = 20; median = 91.7%, p = 0.0228) which can be mainly attributed to a consumption reaction or excessive renal loss, respectively.
Subject(s)
Antithrombin III/analysis , Cat Diseases/blood , Animals , Autoanalysis , Cats , Dogs , Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/blood , Female , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood , Kidney Failure, Chronic/veterinary , Leukemia, Feline/blood , Male , Reference Values , Reproducibility of Results , Wounds and Injuries/blood , Wounds and Injuries/veterinaryABSTRACT
In our patients, haemophilia A was observed in German shepherd dogs and Siberian huskies. Frequently occurring clinical symptoms were excessive bleeding from the gums, when getting adult teeth, and haematomas in the regions of the proximal hindleg, the knee joint as well as the chest or abdominal wall, respectively. The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) as a screening test of the intrinsic coagulation system reflects sensitively also a mildly reduced factor VIII:C activity which may be present for example during substitution therapy. Therefore, the aPTT is well suited for screening for haemophilia A. In haemophilic dogs suffering from hypovolaemic shock due to a considerable acute blood loss, besides the aPTT also the prothrombin time and partly the platelet number were beyond the respective reference range due to loss and consumption of coagulation factors and thrombocytes. For substitution therapy, fresh frozen plasma was used in the first line. Administered at a dose of 15 or 20 ml/kg BW, it caused an increase of factor VIII:C activity by 20 or 33%, respectively. 24 hours after the end of infusion the mean of the remaining activity increase in comparison with the value measured immediately after substitution was 27%. The fast, biphasic elimination of factor VIII:C in some cases required a repeated application until clinical recovery. Desmopressin acetate given at a dose of 1 microgram/kg KGW intravenously or subcutaneously to two dogs each did not cause a distinct increase of the factor VIII:C activity, and is, therefore, not an efficacious supplementary therapy to substitution therapy in haemophilic dogs.
Subject(s)
Blood Coagulation , Blood Component Transfusion/veterinary , Dog Diseases/blood , Hemophilia A/veterinary , Plasma , Animals , Blood Coagulation Tests/veterinary , Dog Diseases/therapy , Dogs , Hemophilia A/blood , Hemophilia A/therapy , MaleABSTRACT
Based on the results of 367 healthy dogs of different age, it could be demonstrated that the concentration of ionized calcium corrected to the pH-value of 7.4 ([Cai (7.4)]) as well as the concentration of total calcium ([Catot]) clearly decreased with increasing age. The most obvious changes were found during the first four months. The [Cai (7.4)] was not influenced distinctly by sex or by breed. The reference range (2.5-97.5% quantil) for [Cai (7.4)] in heparinized plasma was 1.32-1.51 mmol/l in 4-months- to 1-year-old dogs and 1.22-1.46 mmol/l in dogs older than one year, corresponding to a proportion of Cai to Catot of 44.9-54.9%. A moderately close correlation existed between [Cai (7.4)] and the [Catot] (r = 0.754) (n = 393 adult dogs: 180 healthy animals and 213 unselected patients). A similar correlation coefficient was found between the concentrations of Catot and albumin (r = 0.718) or total protein (r = 0.617), respectively. The proportion of Cai to Catot decreased with an increasing concentration of albumin, whereas [Cai (7.4)] tended to increase. The correction of the [Catot] for albumin did not lead to an increased correlation coefficient for the relation with [Cai (7.4)] (r = 0.676). In addition to albumin concentration, the relation between [Cai (7.4)] and the Catot is primarily influenced by complex-forming ions. This became clear by the transient citrate-induced decrease of [Cai (7.4)] whereas [Catot] increased after infusion of fresh frozen plasma in dogs suffering from diarrhea. This investigation shows the limits of the estimation of calcium homoeostasis on the basis of the [Catot].
