The Rare Occurrence of a Left Atrial Thrombus in a Dog

Abstract

Intracardiac thrombi are rare in dogs. If they occur, they are mostly seen in the right atrium while only two case reports describing a mural left atrial thrombus in dogs are available. This case report describes a 14-year-old mixed-breed bitch that was presented at the clinic because of dyspnoea. The dog suffered from alopecia for about three years and displayed polyuria and polydipsia for a number of months. Clinical examination revealed intensified inspiratory and expiratory respiratory sounds and various heart sounds. Chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly (VHS 11) and a mixed bronchoalveolar lung pattern of the caudal lung. A transthoracic echocardiography was performed and showed a moderate mitral regurgitation, a highly dilated left atrium, a low-grade pulmonary insufficiency, and a minimal aortic and tricuspid insufficiency. Additionally, a free-floating ball thrombus was found in the left atrium. Hyperadrenocorticism was indicated by an ACTH stimulation test. The previous medical therapy of the referring veterinarian consisted of benazepril and furosemide and was complemented by clopidogrel. The pet owners declined any further clinical diagnostics and therapy. The dog died 19 days later. This is the first reported case of a dog with a free-floating left atrial thrombus. Specific therapeutic strategies for intracardiac thrombi in the dog are currently not available, and therefore, every patient should be treated individually.

Feline cardiomyopathy-driven thrombogenesis: imaging and computational fluid dynamics for the study of left atrial morphology and haemodynamics

“…19 Cats exhibit a higher propensity for thrombus formation compared to other species such as dogs and humans. 15,[20][21][22][23] However, the significant inter-species variability in the morphology of the LAA complicates direct comparisons of thrombogenesis and the establishment of normal reference values. For instance, in any in-silico modelling of haemodynamics and thrombus formation or when comparing across species, it is crucial to account for variations in blood properties.…”