A retrospective study of 100 cases of feline distal aortic thromboembolism: 1977-1993

The medical records of 100 cats with distal aortic thromboembolism were reviewed. The average age was 7.7 years, with the neutered male being the most common signalment (63%). Evidence of preexisting cardiac disease was noted in 11% of the cases. A murmur or arrhythmia was noted in 57% of the cases on presentation. Frequent laboratory abnormalities included elevations in blood glucose, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Radiographic and electrocardiographic abnormalities were common (89% and 85%, respectively). The most frequent, underlying disease was hypertrophic feline cardiomyopathy (58%), with the left atrial size (as measured by M-mode) significantly increased in the majority of cases (mean left atrial-to-aortic ratio, 2.08). The average, long-term survival in the 37% of cases which survived the initial thromboembolic episode was 11.5 months. The remaining cases either died (28%) or were euthanized (35%).