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LITTLE DOG, HUGE VICTORY
A GUIDE TO
Bailey Triumphs Over Blood Disorder
Hello, fellow cats and friendly humans! I’m back with an important message for animal guardians that may help my kitty compadres live healthier and happier lives. If you notice your cat being extra lethargic, not eating well, hiding in places where we normally don’t go, breathing a little heavier than usual, or even fainting on occasion, you need to get them checked for heart disease right away. Heart problems in cats can come on seemingly out of the blue and may not display any symptoms at all. Unlike people or dogs, we don’t always “cough” when our ticker’s in trouble, so our heart disease may go unnoticed until it’s too late. It’s important that you bring your cat(s) to Petersen Pet Hospital at least once a year — and twice annually if they’re 8 or older — for a check-up. If the Petersen team notices a heart murmur or another issue, they will recommend further testing. They may perform a blood test, which will tell them if they have any damage to their heart muscles. They might also do X-rays, an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), or an electrocardiogram (EKG). Also, cat parents need to watch out for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) — whoa, big cat word! — a disease in which part of the heart becomes thick and can’t pump blood effectively to get oxygen
Bailey is a handsome, 7-year-old Morkie who visited Dr. Knutson and her team last fall for his annual exam. His exam results were great, but he had accumulated enough tartar on his teeth to require dental treatment. However, Bailey had been diagnosed with a blood clotting disorder called Von Willebrand disease (VWD) before being seen at Petersen Pet Hospital. To help keep him safe for this procedure, Dr. Knutson recommended checking his clotting times and Von Willebrand factor to assess the disease’s severity. Bailey has a history of prolonged bleeding, including when he tore a toenail. After blood draws, he develops a massive bruise if proper measures aren’t taken. Bailey came back in for a blood draw for these additional tests. Blood was drawn from his front leg, and the area was wrapped for the next 24 hours to prevent a large bruise from forming. The testing results revealed that although one clotting time was normal, the other was mildly prolonged. Surprisingly, his Von Willebrand factor was normal! Although it turned out he didn’t have VWD, we still didn’t have an answer for his prolonged bleeding.
Dr. Knutson recommended that Bailey return for another special blood draw so that samples could be overnighted to Cornell University, which has a Comparative Coagulation Laboratory that provides comprehensive animal blood coagulation disorders testing. Before long, we had a diagnosis: He had a deficiency in Factor VIII protein, meaning he had hemophilia A. Hemophilia A is a rare inherited clotting disorder in dogs. It most often occurs in males and is caused by a deficiency in Factor VIII, which is critical for normal blood clot formation. Dogs with hemophilia A can spontaneously bleed into joints or muscles, causing lameness and swelling. In severe cases, it can even be fatal if hemorrhage occurs within the chest or abdomen. This disease tends to be more severe in large-breed dogs, so it’s good that Bailey only weighs 5 pounds!
Bailey
Bailey’s hemophilia A diagnosis means that he will need to go to a specialty hospital for any necessary anesthetic procedures. He will require an IV blood transfusion to receive the necessary blood products before the procedure to help his blood clot normally.
We’re so grateful Bailey is the best boy for his visits to Petersen Pet Hospital!
—Dr. Krystal Knutson
Contact us! 319-743-0554
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