Vet Med - Czech, 2025, 70(11):408-416 | DOI: 10.17221/16/2025-VETMED

Coagulation profile in bitches with pyometra: Standard tests and thromboelastographyOriginal Paper

A Ramesova1, K Machackova1, I Vanova ORCID...1,2, M Lacinova1, A Bartoskova3, R Novotny3, R Vitasek3, K Rehakova ORCID...1,2, J Doubek1,2
1 Department of Physiology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
2 Small Animal Clinical Laboratory, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
3 Department of Reproduction, Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

This study aimed to determine coagulation changes in bitches with pyometra based on a series of coagulation tests and thromboelastography (TEG), and to assess the incidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Eighteen bitches with pyometra and thirty-four control bitches were examined. Haematological, biochemical, and following haemostasis parameters were measured, including: prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), antithrombin activity (AT), and levels of fibrinogen (FBG), d-dimers (DD), tissue factor (TF), plasminogen (PLG), tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (TPAI-1), and thromboelastography. DIC was considered present if three or more of these parameters were abnormal: platelet count (<153 × 109/l), PT (>8.1 s), aPTT (>25.5 s), FBG (<0.6 g/l), DD (>0.2 mg/l), and AT (<107%). Significant differences were found in the PT, aPTT, FBG, DD, TPAI-1, clotting time, α-angle, and maximal amplitude. According to our scoring system, two patients were DIC positive. The study found alterations in several coagulation tests and hypercoagulable TEG tracings in bitches with pyometra, which point to excessive activation of coagulation, delayed fibrinolysis, and the presence of DIC. No patient bled abnormally, which may suggest that DIC is not overt in the majority of pyometra patients.

Keywords: antithrombin; disseminated intravascular coagulation; dog; haemostasis; sepsis

Received: February 24, 2025; Revised: July 30, 2025; Accepted: August 6, 2025; Prepublished online: November 27, 2025; Published: November 28, 2025  Show citation

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Ramesova A, Machackova K, Vanova I, Lacinova M, Bartoskova A, Novotny R, et al.. Coagulation profile in bitches with pyometra: Standard tests and thromboelastography. Vet Med - Czech. 2025;70(11):408-416. doi: 10.17221/16/2025-VETMED.
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