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Study shows promise for treating blood clots in cats The situation is frightening. One night, you are reading in bed when you hear your 4-year-old cat scream. You run down the stairs and find her dragging her back legs across the living room in obvious pain. You gather your pet in your arms and head to the veterinary emergency room. After a careful examination, the veterinarian tells you that your cat has suffered from a painful blood clot, known as feline arterial thromboembolism (FAT), and the prognosis is poor. In the morning, the doctor calls to say your beloved pet survived the night, but she will most likely suffer future clotting recurrences. The only humane course of action seems to be a heartbreaking decision you never thought you would have to make for such a young cat. Each year, between 200,000 and 600,000 cats are at risk for developing these life-threatening blood clots, which often are associated with heart disease. Only one-third of all affected cats survive the initial blood clot, and because of the potential for repeat episodes, many of these cats are euthanized. FAT episodes occur when arterial plaque (clot) breaks free and travels back to the legs where the aorta branches out. This is extremely painful to cats and it can paralyze their back legs. Once FAT happens, it is highly likely to reoccur. Using funding from Morris Animal Foundation, Dr. Daniel Hogan, associate professor of cardiology at Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, has done extensive work to provide a lasting solution for this terrible condition. Dr. Hogan and his research team conducted what they call the FAT Cat Study, a clinical trial that tested the efficacy of clopidogrel (Plavix) and aspirin as blood-thinning therapies to prevent recurring blood clots.
Because these drugs have been used to successfully prevent blood clots in humans, some veterinarians have experimented with using aspirin and Plavix to prevent additional FAT episodes in cats. Using a blinded clinical trial, Dr. Hogan and his team hoped to determine whether either drug might be an effective therapy for cats at risk of recurrent clotting. In this trial, the researchers discovered that Plavix was significantly more effective than aspirin at preventing future clots and increasing survival after the development of FAT. Results show that not only did cats taking Plavix survive longer during the study period, but they also lived an average of 12 months after their initial clotting episode. One cat in the study lived for six years after the first incident. The outcome of this study is providing hope to thousands of cat owners around the world, and the promise of a longer and healthier life for their beloved feline companions. Morris Animal Foundation is proud to support Dr. Hogan’s efforts, and hopes, along with Dr. Hogan, that his study will soon result in simple and affordable treatment for cats affected by FAT. %
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