2016 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

In conclusions, thrombin generation seems to be stable and repeatable in healthy dogs. Direct venipuncture sampling is recommended for CAT. Indices of individuality were low for all CAT variables, suggesting limited utility of population-based reference intervals for this assay. A method of objective quantification of clinical bleeding in canine immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) is needed because ITP patients have variable bleeding tendencies that do not directly relate to severity of thrombocytopenia. A consistent description of their bleeding would allow more direct comparisons of this bleeding heterogeneity in multi-institution studies. Application of a standardized bleeding assessment tool would help stratify ITP patients in clinical trials based on their bleeding severity to provide an objective comparison of patient outcomes among treatment protocols. In this study we aimed to develop and validate a daily canine ITP bleeding assessment tool (DOGiBAT) and to evaluate the utility of a training course for improving accurate implementation of the DOGiBAT.