A retrospective study of canine D-dimer concentrations measured using an immunometric "Point-of-Care" test.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the D-dimer concentrations in both healthy dogs and dogs with and without evidence of thromboembolic disease/disseminated intravascular coagulation using a "Point-of-Care" test.


METHODS
Sixty-seven clinical cases and 26 healthy dogs were included in this retrospective study. D-dimer was measured using the NycoCard D-dimer test. Clinical conditions were categorised based on clinical findings, laboratory results, imaging, cytology, histopathology, necropsy or a combination of these tests.


RESULTS
There were no dogs for which the NycoCard D-dimer test did not produce a result. The D-dimer range in clinically healthy dogs was 0.1 to 0.5 mg/l (median 0.2 mg/l). In eight of nine cases with thromboembolic disease/disseminated intravascular coagulation and 43 of 58 of the cases without thromboembolic disease/disseminated intravascular coagulation , the D-dimer concentrations were greater than those of healthy dogs.


CONCLUSIONS
The NycoCard D-dimer test card required no specialised equipment and could therefore facilitate rapid screening for thromboembolic disease/disseminated intravascular coagulation in first opinion practice. Elevations in D-dimer concentration can be found in a number of clinical conditions apart from thromboembolic disease/disseminated intravascular coagulation and should not therefore be used as the sole basis of diagnosis. D-dimer may be considered a good screening test for thromboembolic disease/disseminated intravascular coagulation as only one case with histopathological evidence of thromboembolic disease/disseminated intravascular coagulation had a D-dimer concentration in the range seen in healthy dogs.
Dewhurst
E
E
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU.
Cue
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S
Crawford
E
E
Papasouliotis
K
K
D000818:Animals; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*
D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; C036309:fibrin fragment D