Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Jun;26(6):1098612X241257878.
doi: 10.1177/1098612X241257878.

Feline Aortic Thromboembolism: Recent advances and future prospects

Julien Guillaumin  1
Affiliations
Review

Feline Aortic Thromboembolism: Recent advances and future prospects

Julien Guillaumin. J Feline Med Surg. 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Practical relevance: Feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE) is commonly encountered in clinical medicine, especially in emergency situations. This often devastating syndrome usually develops secondarily to severe heart disease, and has short- and long-term consequences.

Clinical features: The clinical presentation of FATE is consistent with peripheral ischemic neuropathy, usually in both pelvic limbs. Diagnosis is relatively straightforward, but can be assisted with Doppler ultrasound, point-of-care ultrasound or infrared thermal imaging.

Recent advances and future prospects: Interpretation of survival rates in cats with FATE has been hampered by historically high admission euthanasia, but recent studies suggest a survival rate with supportive care of 30-40%. Moreover, with advances in post-FATE thromboprophylaxis, median survival times of over 1 year are being achieved. Future directions include use of thrombolytic agents and treatment of common FATE sequelae such as acute kidney injury and reperfusion injury.

Outline: This article, aimed at small animal veterinarians, including emergency practitioners, reviews key aspects of the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment options for FATE, with a view to guiding client and veterinarian decision-making. Three case studies are included to illustrate the practical application of information presented in the review.

Evidence base: There are limited prospective studies on FATE, although the recent literature reflects a resurgence in clinical research interest in the past few years. Advances in FATE treatment will benefit many cats and it is important that research efforts continue to identify appropriate treatment modalities.

Keywords: CURATIVE; TPA; Thromboembolism; cardiomyopathy; thrombolysis; thromboprophylaxis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Paralysis in an 11-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair cat with feline aortic thromboembolism (FATE). Note the position of the pelvic limbs. A fentanyl constant rate infusion is being used to manage pain in this patient
Figure 2
Figure 2
Close-up view of one of the paws of the cat pictured in Figure 1. Note the purple/pale discoloration of the paw pads
Figure 5
Figure 5
Self-mutilation 3 months after recovery from FATE. The cat, who suffered from severe cardiomyopathy, underwent pelvic limb amputation and recovered well
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Smith SA, Tobias AH, Jacob KA. et al.. Arterial thromboembolism in cats: acute crisis in 127 cases (1992-2001) and long-term management with low-dose aspirin in 24 cases. ] Vet Intern Med 2003; 17, 73-83. - PubMed
    1. Guillaumin J, DeFrancesco TC, Scansen BA. et al.. Bilateral lysis of aortic saddle thrombus with early tissue plasminogen activator (BLASTT): a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study in feline acute aortic thromboembolism. ] Feline Med Surg 2022; 24: e535-e545. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Borgeat K, Wright J, Garrod O. et al.. Arterial thromboembolism in 250 cats in general practice: 2004-2012. ] Vet Intern Med 2014; 28: 102-108. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rush JE, Freeman LM, Fenollosa NK. et al.. Population and survival characteristics of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: 260 cases (1990-1999). ] Am Vet Med Assoc 2002; 220: 202-207. - PubMed
    1. Pouchelon JL, Chetboul V, Devauchelle P. et al.. Diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism in a cat using echocardiography and pulmonary scintigraphy. ] Small Anim Pract 1997; 38: 306-310. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources