Retrospective comparison of thromboelastography results to postmortem evidence of thrombosis in critically ill dogs: 39 cases (2005–2010)

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an association between thromboelastography (TEG) data and necropsy evidence of thrombosis in a cohort of critically ill dogs. DESIGN: Retrospective study (2005–2010). SETTING: University teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Thirty‐nine client‐owned critically ill dogs for which TEG was performed within 7 days of complete necropsy. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thrombi were found in 26 (67%) dogs. Spayed females (n = 20) were significantly more likely to have thrombosis (P = 0.0127). No significant association was found between presence of thrombosis and any TEG parameter, the calculated coagulation index, results of coagulation testing, type of vascular access, or clinical diagnosis. D‐dimers were significantly higher in dogs with thrombosis (P = 0.0207) and a weak positive correlation was found between D‐dimer value and number of sites of thrombosis (ρ = 0.18, P = 0.0045). Dogs with WBC > 16 × 10³/μL were more likely to have thrombosis compared to others (odds ratio 5.56, 95% confidence interval 1.2–25.7, P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: This study found no association between any TEG parameter and the presence of thrombosis on postmortem examination.