Animal & Bird Medical Center of Palm Harbor
Medical Database

Cardiovascular Disorders

Arterial Thromboembolism in Cats

Animals Affected – Cat

General Information
Arterial thromboembolism is a disorder of the heart and blood of cats. It is one of several complications that occur in cats with heart damage. Blood clots (thrombi) may occur within the heart and travel through the bloodstream until they become lodged. A common site for a clot to lodge is toward the rear of the body, where the aorta divides to supply blood to the rear legs. The blood supply to one or both legs can be greatly reduced by a lodged clot, depending on where the clot is. Rear-leg lameness, pain, and cool rear legs are common signs.

Important Points in Treatment
1. Initial treatment is aimed at improving circulation to the rear limbs. Blood tests and radiographs (x-rays) are used to assess and monitor the disorder during treatment.
2. If the condition fails to improve, surgical removal of the blood clot is necessary. This requires general anesthesia.

An Important Update From Animal & Bird Medical Center On COVID-19

We are committed to offering a safe and healthy environment for our clients, pets and hospital team here at Animal and Bird Medical Center. The best way to avoid becoming ill is to avoid exposure to the virus. Taking typical preventive actions is key.

In being cautious and mindful of everyone’s safety, we are actively working to minimize your exposure to crowded exam rooms and long waits in the lobby.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made some changes to our protocols in-hospital for the time-being…

In order to limit exposure while still providing quality care for your pet, we will be implementing special protocols to keep you safe.

We will have our veterinary technicians get a history of the patient’s symptoms and owner’s concerns via phone prior to coming into the clinic.

Our goal is for you to be able to bring your pet in for medical care but have no risk for you or our dedicated staff of transmitting the COVID-19 virus.

The Doctors and staff are dedicated to making sure your pet’s medical needs are taken care of during this national crisis.

We can still fill prescriptions for pick up, however, for those who prefer, non-narcotic and non-urgent prescriptions can be mailed to your home.

As always, careful hand-washing and other infection control practices can greatly reduce the chance of spreading any disease.