Improving the Safety of an Anticlotting Drug Used in Cats with Heart Disease

Cats with heart disease often develop blood clots, and the survival rate of a clotting episode is less than 40 percent. Because cats that survive often develop a second clot, many cats are euthanized rather than treated. Clopidogrel, an antiplatelet drug commonly used to prevent coronary arterial thromboembolism in people, is increasingly being used to prevent clots in cats. Only one study, however, has evaluated how clopidogrel affects cats. Researchers will investigate how cats metabolize clopidogrel and how it affects cat platelets. This will enable veterinarians to use the drug more safely and effectively in cats with heart disease and to better prevent blood clot formation.