Abstract:
The haemostatic status of dogs with canine parvovirus (CPV) enteritis, within 24 h of admission
after initial fluid administration, has been described previously, but the haemostatic status at
admission and after standard fluid resuscitation, as well as after initial fluid redistribution, has
not been investigated previously. The objective of this study was to characterise the haemostatic
status at admission and describe the effect of crystalloid fluid resuscitation on haemostatic
variables in dogs with CPV enteritis. Twenty-seven client-owned, hospitalised dogs with
confirmed natural CPV infection and 15 healthy age-matched controls were included in a
prospective, observational clinical study. The volume of resuscitation fluid, haematocrit
(HCT), platelet count, thromboelastography (TEG) variables, antithrombin (AT) activity,
fibrinogen- and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations were measured in all dogs at
admission, after fluid resuscitation and, in 10 dogs, after receiving an additional 3 hours of
maintenance-rate crystalloid fluids. For the CPV group at admission, the median TEG reaction
time (R) and maximum amplitude (MA) or clot strength, as well as the median HCT, fibrinogen
and CRP concentrations, were significantly increased compared to the controls. After fluid
resuscitation, median R was significantly shorter, MA significantly increased and HCT and AT
activity significantly decreased compared to admission values. The haemostatic variables
remained unchanged after 3 h of maintenance-rate crystalloid therapy. The increased clot
strength present in dogs with CPV enteritis at admission was exacerbated after fluid
resuscitation and persisted for hours after large-volume crystalloid fluid administration.
