Devon Rex kitten has coagulopathy (blood-clotting disorder)

Question: A Devon Rex kitten bred by me has been diagnosed with vitamin K deficiency coagulopathy. I can find very little information about this condition, either online or in my books. Am I right in thinking that this gene is recessive, therefore both parents need to carry it? Also is there a test for it? Any advice or information would be very welcome. – Anne

Answer: A coagulopathy is a condition that means when a cat gets injured, the wound will not stop bleeding. You may be familiar with the condition of hemophilia. Hemophilia is a congenital condition where a certain clotting factor is missing and the blood cannot clot properly. It can be life threatening when large injuries occur.

Humans and animals alike can have blood-clotting disorders. They are diagnosed by blood tests. Congenital blood clotting disorders are more common in purebred dogs and cats, but can occur in mixed breeds.

Vitamin K is very important in blood clotting. Most rat poison contains Warfarin or similar products that cause internal bleeding when the rat eats the poison. The ?antidote? for Warfarin is vitamin K injections and tablets.

Many people have to take small doses of Coumadin to help ?thin their blood? and prevent blood clots from forming. Coumadin works in a similar way to Warfarin. It must be closely monitored to keep the anticoagulant level safe.

Vitamin K deficiencies can also occur from eating a deficient diet. Most vitamin K comes in green leafy vegetables. Bacteria in the intestines also make vitamin K.

The most common causes of vitamin K deficiency coagulopathy are ingestion of, rat poison, Coumadin, or eating a rat that has recently ingested large amounts of rat poison.

The best preventative is to make sure your cat is eating a healthy diet and does not have access to your medications. Make sure that you do not use rat poison and don?t allow your cat to hunt and ingest rats.

Dr. Baker

Dr. Susan Baker
Baker Veterinary Clinic
1801 S. Congress Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Read more articles by Dr. Baker | Ask her a question

Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2011/11/23/devon-rex-kitten-has-coagulopathy-blood-clotting-disorder/

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