EFFECTIVENESS OF PIMOBENDAN IN CATS WITH CARDIOGENIC ARTERIAL THROMBOEMBOLISM

Abstract

Cardiogenic arterial thromboembolism (CATE) is a common complication of cardiomyopathy in cats. Current research is aimed at developing effective protocols for the therapy and prevention of CATE. The main focus is on finding effective anticoagulants, antiaggregants, and methods that improve blood supply to the affected area. At the same time, interest in the use of pimobendan for the therapy of congestive heart failure in cats has increased among researchers. Published works show an increase in life expectancy in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and a positive effect on left atrial function. Therefore, the study of the effect of pimobendan on life expectancy, the occurrence of relapses in cats according to CATE is relevant and became the goal of this work. The study included 24 animals that had a CATE incident due to HCM and lived more than 2 weeks after the crisis. Two groups were formed: the first - 13 cats that after stabilization of the condition received standard therapy (furosemide, ACE inhibitor, clopidogrel) and pimobendan; the second - 11 cats that received only standard therapy. The anamnesis, clinical examination, echocardiographic examination, and information about relapse, death or euthanasia were recorded in the animals. 91.7% of cats were males, the average age was 7 ± 0.7 years. Dyspnoea, pulmonary edema, hypothermia, change in mental status, paresis and anemia of the affected limb were found in the majority. Two pelvic limbs were more often affected. Relapse occurred in 37.5% of subjects. The time interval from the incident to the recurrence in the first group was 387.4 ± 104.5 and in the second 107.2 ± 32.1 days. Euthanasia was performed for 20.8% of animals and was always associated with relapse. The survival time in the first group averaged 403.7 ± 104.0, and in the second - 314 ± 47.3 days. The median survival time for the first group is 9.5 months and for the second 12.5. After the death of all the animals in the first group, 40% of cats who received pimobendan remained alive. We didn`t find statistical differences between the groups in the number of relapses, euthanasias, duration of life and survival. Was found a significant difference in the length of time before relapse. Pimobendan did not show a negative effect on life expectancy in cats according to CATE. The positive effect is probably not clear enough and needs to be studied in a larger cohort of animals.