Postoperative bleeding in retired racing greyhounds.
BACKGROUND
Some retired racing Greyhounds (RRG) that undergo surgery bleed excessively.


OBJECTIVE
Greyhounds that bleed excessively will have one or more preoperative hemostatic abnormalities that can be used to predict the risk and severity of postoperative bleeding.


METHODS
Eighty-eight RRG undergoing ovariohysterectomy or castration.


METHODS
All dogs were evaluated preoperatively with a physical exam, CBC, platelet count, OSPT, APTT, platelet function with PFA-100(a); fibrinogen, d-dimer, plasminogen (Plmg), antiplasmin (AP), antithrombin (AT), and vWF concentration (vWF:Ag); vWF collagen binding assay (vWF:CBA), and Factor XIII assay. Assays were repeated in the dogs that bled, and in an age- and sex-matched control group of RRG.


RESULTS
Twenty-six percent of the dogs had bleeding 36-48 hours after surgery. AP (P <.0001) and AT concentration (P= .007) were significantly lower, and vWF:CBA (P= .0284) was higher preoperatively in the dogs with excessive hemorrhage. A lower platelet count (P= .001) and hematocrit (P= .002), shorter OSPT (P= .0002) and higher plasma fibrinogen (P <.0001), and AP (P= .001) concentration were detected at the time of bleeding compared with preoperative values in the dogs that bleed excessively. The same findings were observed postoperatively for the control group, except for the decrease in hematocrit.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that this excessive postoperative bleeding is not attributable to a primary or secondary hemostatic defect, but could result from altered fibrinolysis.
Lara-García
A
A
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Veterinary Teaching Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. lara-garcia.3@osu.edu
Couto
C G
CG
Iazbik
M C
MC
Brooks
M B
MB
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time / Q000662:veterinary; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000662:veterinary; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011517:Prothrombin Time / Q000662:veterinary; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
D014841:von Willebrand Factor