2017 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

While we determined that both the trade name and generic formulations of clopidogrel are safe to administer in cats, there was not reliable inhibition of platelet aggregation in all cats. Cats tended to have a similar response to both formulations of clopidogrel implying that intrinsic factors affect the efficacy of the drug, as opposed to human or assay error. This variable response to treatment may be due to alterations in the cytochrome P450 gene coding for enzymes responsive for clopidogrel metabolism, as several polymorphisms have been identified in humans. This is the first study to investigate the effect of the generic formulation of clopidogrel on platelet aggregation, but due to the low sample size, meaningful conclusions cannot be made about the varying response to the drug. Further studies should aim to increase sample size, and investigate metabolic, genetic, and other intrinsic factors that could affect drug efficacy. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of 7.5% hypertonic saline solution (HSS) on whole blood coagulation in healthy dogs and to compare the effects of in vivo and in vitro dilution of HSS.