Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) in Dogs

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) in Dogs

By: Dr. Debra Primovic

Pages 1

Diagnosis

Veterinary care should include diagnostic tests to determine the underlying disorder as well as the blood clotting parameters. There is not a single test that diagnoses DIC. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is generally diagnosed based on the presence of an underlying disease that causes DIC combined with laboratory changes that suggest problems in the coagulation (clotting) system.

Some of these tests include:

Complete medical history and thorough physical examination. Special attention will be paid to any evidence of bruising or bleeding.

Complete blood count (CBC) can discover anemia (too few oxygen-carrying red blood cells), abnormal platelet numbers (too few or too many blood clotting cells) and abnormal white blood cell counts (too few or too many infection-fighting cells). Infections are a common contributing factor in development of DIC. The red blood cells may be fragmented (called schistocytes) or damaged by fibrin strands that are present within the blood vessels. The platelet count is diseased in DIC.

Blood smear may be preformed to evaluate the red blood cell morphology and presence of platelets.

Clotting tests such as an activated clotting time (ACT), prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) are used to determine if anemia and/or bleeding are due to the inability of the animal to clot its blood. These values are greatly prolonged in the hemorrhagic phase of DIC. The values can be short in the early phases. As the pet is treated, your veterinarian will likely repeat these blood tests to confirm that they normalize.

Serum fibrinogen concentration and fibrin degradation products (FDPs) are tests used to identify the presence of breakdown products of fibrin (called fibrin degradation products) can serve as an important clue to the presence of DIC. They are elevated with DIC.

Packed cell volume (PCV) may be routinely monitored. This is a simple test to evaluate your dog for anemia. It determines the percentage of the blood occupied by red blood cells, which is normally 35 to 55 percent in dogs. This will help evaluate blood loss.

Additional tests may be recommended on an individual basis. They may be recommended to help evaluate or determine the underlying cause for DIC.

These tests include:

Serum biochemical profile to determine potential underlying causes of DIC.

Analysis of the urine to check abnormalities that be contributing to this problem.

If anemia is present, a reticulocyte count determines whether the animal's body is trying to regenerate red blood cells that have been lost.

Abdominal Radiograph (X-ray) may be requested to rule out changes in size of organs like the liver or kidneys or to look for evidence of abdominal tumors. Kidney disease, intestinal disease, disease of the adrenal gland or certain abdominal tumors may be present as an underlying cause for DIC.

Abdominal ultrasonography (ultrasound) uses sound waves to evaluate the contents of the abdominal cavity. A specialist often performs the test in which the fur is shaved and a probe is held against the abdomen (this is the same test given to many pregnant women to visualize the fetus). This test can reveal many of the same things as abdominal radiographs, but provides a more detailed examination along with views of the inside of organs rather than just the shadow of the organ.

Treatment

Patients with DIC will require initial in-hospital stabilization. Treatment is primarily directed at the underlying disease. In-hospital therapy includes intensive care and frequent evaluation of bleeding and blood clotting parameters. The goal is to treat the underlying condition while trying to control hemorrhage that results from DIC.

Treatments may include the following:

Identification of and aggressive treatment of the underlying condition is most important.

Fluid therapy is essential to maintain adequate blood flow (perfusion).

The anti-clotting medication heparin may be recommended to prevent disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or if your dog is in the early stages of this life-threatening complication.

Plasma that has been frozen soon after collection (fresh frozen plasma) may be administered to provide clotting factors in cases of DIC after your pet has been treated with heparin to prevent ongoing coagulation. Sometimes heparin is mixed in with the fresh frozen plasma.

Blood transfusions may be recommended for pets with anemia or blood loss.

Frequent monitoring of PCV's, platelet counts, blood clotting times and other tests that can evaluate the primary cause may be preformed to help evaluate the effectiveness of a guide for additional therapy.

Prognosis

The prognosis depends upon the severity of the illness and the pet's response to therapy. This condition is very serious and the prognosis is considered poor.

Home Care and Prevention

There is no long term management of DIC. Home care will depend on the underlying condition.

Aggressive and early treatment of the primary disorders that can cause DIC is the best prevention.

Pages 1

Printable Version

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Share this Article with a Friend Email To:

Have a Pet Question?

Review the Most Frequent Questions
Answered by Dr. Jon and His Staff of Veterinarians

Dr. Jon's Newsletter

Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...

Search Over 15,000 articles

1 Acute Pancreatitis in Dogs
Acute pancreatitis results from sudden inflammation of the pancreas and is characterized by activation of pancreatic enzymes that can cause the pancreas to begin digesting itself. The cause of acute pancreatitis...
Read More
2 Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (Bloat)
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) often referred to as “bloat,” is a serious condition caused by abnormal dilatation and twisting of the stomach in dogs. Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed...
Read More
3 Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs
Hemolytic anemia is a disease process in which the red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen and impart a red color to blood, are destroyed, resulting in a decreased number in the bloodstream. This...
Read More
4 Rodenticide Poisoning in Dogs
Rodenticide poisoning is the accidental ingestion of products used to kill rodents such as mice, rats and gophers. Accidental exposure is frequent, and the symptoms and problems your pet will exhibit depends...
Read More

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

Dogs & Puppies

Dog Breeds

labrador retriever, golden retriever, yorkshire terriers, german shepherds, beagle, boxers

Dog Medication

dog allergy medication, dog pain medication, dog anxiety medication, dog flea medication

Dog Products

dog bowls, dog crates, dog toys, dog beds, dog ramps, dog food storage, dog tags

Dog Symptoms

dog vomiting, dog limping, dog diarrhea, dog bad breath, dog coughing, dog seizures

Dog Health

dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog epilepsy, dog hip dysplasia, dog health, sick dog

Dog Care

dog vaccination, dog microchipping, dog grooming, dog neutering, dog spaying, dogs mating

Dog Training

dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog behavior, dog jumping, dog whisperer

Dog Pictures

puppy pictures, funny dogs, cute dogs, dog breeds, sleeping dogs, silly dogs, small dogs

Cats

Cat Breeds

persian, siamese cats, devon rex, ragdoll cats, sphynx, maine coon cat

Cat Medication

cat flea medication, cat heartworm control, cat tick medications

Cat Products

cat litter box, cat food, cat bed, cat flea collar, cat carrier, cat urine odor

Cat Symptoms

cat vomiting, cat limping, cat diarrhea, cat bad breath, cat coughing

Cat Health

cat health, cat liver cancer, cat diabetes, cat scratch fever, cat aids, sick cat

Cat Care

cat vaccination, cat grooming, cat microchipping, cat neutering, cat spaying

Cat Behavior

cat urine marking, cat furniture scratching, cat litterbox training, cat toilet training, cat fears

Cat Pictures

cute cats, funny cats, playful cats, fat cats, jumping cats, lazy cats, sleeping cats, cute kittens

1Hemolytic Anemia in Dogs
Hemolytic anemia is a disease process in which the red blood cells, the cells that carry oxygen and impart a red color to blood, are destroyed, resulting in a decreased number in the bloodstream. This...
Read More
2Rodenticide Poisoning in Dogs
Rodenticide poisoning is the accidental ingestion of products used to kill rodents such as mice, rats and gophers. Accidental exposure is frequent, and the symptoms and problems your pet will exhibit depends...
Read More
3Acute Pancreatitis in Dogs
Acute pancreatitis results from sudden inflammation of the pancreas and is characterized by activation of pancreatic enzymes that can cause the pancreas to begin digesting itself. The cause of acute pancreatitis...
Read More
4Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (Bloat)
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) often referred to as “bloat,” is a serious condition caused by abnormal dilatation and twisting of the stomach in dogs. Bloating of the stomach is often related to swallowed...
Read More

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) in Dogs

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) in Dogs

Related Articles

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

"Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) i..."

To view the requested article, please register below.

Success! - You Are Now Part of the Petplace Family!