Cardiogenic embolism in the cat

Cardiogenic embolism (CE) in the cat, which has also been referred to as arterial thromboembolism, feline arterial thromboembolism, and saddle thrombus has been identified clinically in cats for decades and is an important clinical development and cause of death in cats with underlying heart disease. While a better understanding of this condition has been developed over the decades it is extremely frustrating to clinicians that there have not been dramatic changes in prevention or outcome. Only recently has the first prospective thromboprophylactic study on CE in cats been completed. While new antithrombotic drugs are developed for humans on a regular basis, it has been challenging to get pharmaceutical companies to focus on the feline species. Additionally, there remains an absence of clinical data to identify cats at risk for developing CE aside from the simple fact that they have underlying heart disease. This review will attempt to present a summary of where we stand in 2015 with regards to clinical presentation, survival, thrombotic risk, and prevention.