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OBJECTIVE: To characterize hemostatic profiles in dogs with acute pancreatitis. DESIGN: Prospective and observational study. SETTING: Tertiary referral centers. ANIMALS: Fifteen client‐owned dogs with acute pancreatitis enrolled between December 1, 2011 and June 1, 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected on admission for measurement of platelet count, PCV, thromboelastography (TEG), antithrombin, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, D‐dimer, von Willebrand factor, and fibrinogen values, which were compared to reference intervals derived from healthy dogs. The Wilcoxon rank‐sum test was used to test for differences in continuous variables between study subjects and reference intervals. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Dogs with acute pancreatitis were globally hypercoagulable using TEG when compared with reference intervals. Dogs with acute pancreatitis had significantly higher D‐dimers (1,144 μg/L vs 251 μg/L [6264.5 vs 1374.5 nmol/L]; P = 0.001), fibrinogen (837 vs 232 mg/dL [8.37 vs 2.32 g/L]; P

To determine thawing times of fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and to evaluate the activity of hemostatic proteins (coagulation factors V, VII, VIII, IX, X, and fibrinogen), clotting times (prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time), and sterility of canine plasma stored refrigerated.Prospective laboratory-based study.Veterinary teaching hospital blood bank.Phase 1: Six units of canine FFP were retrieved from the blood bank and thawed individually in a warm water bath. Time for thaw was recorded in minutes and reported as mean ± SD. Phase 2: One unit of fresh whole blood was collected from 9 dogs and processed routinely. Resulting plasma was divided into 2 aliquots, 1 stored as refrigerated plasma (RP) and 1 as frozen plasma. Samples from the RP were taken at 0, 1, 5, 7, and 14 days and from the FFP at days 0 and 14 for determination of clotting factor activity (V, VII, VIII, IX, and X and fibrinogen) and clotting times. Coagulation factors and clotting times were analyzed using a mixed effects linear model for ANOVA, comparing changes over time as well as differences between groups. For all comparisons, a P value of0.05 was considered significant. Batch bacterial aerobic and anaerobic cultures of the RP samples were submitted on days 7 and 14 and from the frozen plasma on day 14.Time to thaw for FFP units was 34.7 ± 1.38 minutes. Refrigerated storage resulted in significant decreases in the activity of all clotting factors and a subsequent prolongation in clotting times. However, no values were outside of the reference interval. All bacterial cultures yielded no growth.Refrigerated storage results in only minor loss of coagulation factor activity in canine plasma. The use of RP, therefore, may be a viable option in high-volume veterinary hospitals for rapid correction of coagulopathy in critical care patients.