title: Secondary prevention of cardiogenic arterial thromboembolism in the cat: The double-blind, randomized, positive-controlled feline arterial thromboembolism; clopidogrel vs. aspirin trial (FAT CAT).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if clopidogrel administration is associated with a reduced likelihood of recurrent cardiogenic arterial thromboembolism (CATE) in cats compared to aspirin administration. Secondary aims were to determine if clopidogrel administration had an effect on the composite endpoint of recurrent CATE and cardiac death and to identify adverse effects of chronic clopidogrel or aspirin therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-five cats that survived a CATE event.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, positive-controlled study. Cats were assigned to clopidogrel (18.75 mg/cat PO q 24 h) or aspirin (81 mg/cat PO q 72 h). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were created for each endpoint and the log rank test performed to compare treatment groups with respect to time to event and the likelihood of the event occurring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of all cats was 8.0 ± 3.5 yr and 57/75 (76%) were male (p < 0.001); 62/75 (83%) were mixed breed with the remainder including Persian, Abyssinian, American Shorthair, Bengal, Birman, Himalayan, Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Snowshoe, and Sphynx breeds. Only 15% (11/75) of cats had a history of heart disease recorded prior to the CATE event. Clopidogrel administration was associated with significantly reduced likelihood of recurrent CATE compared to aspirin (p = 0.024) and had a longer median time to recurrence [443 (95% CI 185-990) days vs. 192 (95% CI 62-364) days, respectively]. Clopidogrel was also associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of the composite endpoint of recurrent CATE or cardiac death (p = 0.033) with a longer median time to event [346 (95% CI 146-495) days vs. 128 (95% CI 58-243) days].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clopidogrel administration significantly reduces the likelihood of recurrent CATE compared with aspirin in cats; both drugs were well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2026, USA. Electronic address: hogandf@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.affiliation: Caspary Institute, The Animal Medical Center, 510 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: CVCA-Cardiac Care for Pets, 1209 Cromwell Bridge Road, Towson, MD 21286, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keene
authors.affiliation: MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center, 350 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Laste
authors.affiliation: CVCA-Cardiac Care for Pets, 1209 Cromwell Bridge Road, Towson, MD 21286, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2026, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sederquist
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Comparative Pathobiology, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2026, USA.
authors.forename: Hsin-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Weng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002415:Cats; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D008297:Male; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: Antithrombotics; Cardioembolic; Infarction; Thromboprophylaxis; Thrombosis