2016 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

Survival following initiation of darbepoetin therapy ranged from 30 -546 days (median 118 days). An estimated 442 doses of darbepoetin were administered over that course of treatment; the range of doses administered per dog was 2 -61 (median 11.5 doses per dog). Dogs were considered responders if they achieved a HCT of 30% over the course of treatment. Twenty-nine of 34 dogs were responders. Time to response ranged from 6 -106 days (median 28 days). There was no association between starting HCT, dose or frequency of administration of darbepoetin, or initial iron supplementation between responders and non-responders. Dogs that received a pRBC transfusion at the onset of treatment were more likely to be non-responders (P = 0.013). Twenty-two dogs were transitioned to an extended dosing interval following response, and 15 of those dogs subsequently required the dosing interval to be shortened to maintain target HCT. No dog sustained a response at a dosing interval greater than every 21 days. Potential adverse events were documented in 19/34 dogs and included increased systolic blood pressure requiring treatment (n = 12), seizures (n = 5), vomiting (n = 3), diarrhea (n = 3), hypersensitivity reaction to iron injection (n = 1), and possible PRCA (1). Development of potential adverse events resulted in discontinuation of darbepoetin only with respect to possible PRCA; in all other cases, adverse events were more likely attributed to underlying disease.