🐾 Vet-Approved 2025 Guide: Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) in Dogs and Cats—A Life-Threatening Emergency 🩸🐶🐱

By Dr. Duncan Houston, BVSc

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) is a rare but devastating condition in which a very sick pet begins to both clot and bleed abnormally. It’s not a disease itself, but a critical complication that arises from underlying illness—often with life-threatening consequences 🆘

⚠️ What Is DIC?

DIC occurs when the body’s clotting and anti-clotting systems are disrupted, causing widespread:

• 🩸 Clot formation in small vessels (thrombosis)
• 💧 Bleeding due to depleted clotting proteins and platelets

🧬 It is primarily a problem in dogs but can occur in cats as well. Survival depends on early recognition, emergency treatment, and addressing the cause behind it.

🔍 Common Causes of DIC

• 🔥 Pancreatitis
• 🐍 Snake bites
• 🧪 Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA)
• 🧬 Hemangiosarcoma (a vascular cancer)
• 💉 Blood transfusion reactions
• 🦠 Sepsis or overwhelming infection
• ⚡ Heatstroke
• 🩺 Protein-losing enteropathy or kidney disease
• 🐈 In cats: FIP, lymphoma, hepatic lipidosis

🩺 How DIC Develops

In healthy animals, tiny clots regularly form and dissolve to maintain vessel integrity. In DIC, the body goes into overdrive:

• 🧬 Too many clots form → Depletes anti-clotting proteins like antithrombin
• 🔁 Excessive fibrin forms → Leads to widespread vessel inflammation
• 💉 Eventually, clotting factors run out → Severe bleeding begins

This double-edged sword of clotting and bleeding leads to oxygen starvation of tissues, organ failure, and often death.

🧪 Diagnosing DIC

No single test confirms DIC, but a combination of findings suggests it. Your vet may look for:

• 🔬 Low platelet count
• 🩸 Prolonged PT and PTT clotting times
• 🧪 Fibrin degradation products or D-dimers (indicate clots have been formed and dissolved)
• 📉 Low fibrinogen levels
• 🧫 Thromboelastography (TEG) – advanced tool to measure clot strength and elasticity

🧪 A negative D-dimer test rules out DIC in 95% of dogs, but is less reliable in cats.

🆘 Signs of DIC in Pets

• 🟣 Unexplained bruising or petechiae (tiny red spots)
• 💉 Spontaneous bleeding (gums, nose, urine, etc.)
• 🩺 Prolonged bleeding from IV sites or incisions
• 🌀 Weakness, collapse, or signs of shock

DIC often starts with no outward signs—only blood test changes. Early detection in high-risk patients is critical ⚠️

🏥 Emergency Treatment for DIC

DIC requires intensive hospital care to restore circulation and manage clotting:

• 💧 IV fluids – restore blood flow and tissue oxygen
• 💉 Plasma transfusions – replenish clotting proteins
• 🧬 Heparin therapy – reactivates antithrombin and reduces microclots
• 📈 Supportive care for organs at risk (kidneys, lungs, liver)

🔑 The most important part of treatment is identifying and eliminating the underlying cause (infection, tumor, inflammation, etc.). Without that, DIC will continue to worsen.

📊 Prognosis

DIC has a very high mortality rate—especially if diagnosis is delayed or the underlying disease is untreatable. Early intervention improves chances, especially in patients who are still clotting normally on TEG testing.

In many cases, DIC represents the body’s final stage of systemic illness. Compassionate decision-making may be necessary if recovery isn’t likely 💔

📲 Stay Alert, Act Fast

If your pet is battling a serious illness and shows signs of unexplained bleeding or bruising, seek veterinary attention immediately. For real-time help navigating critical care or DIC treatment, visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet app 📱

🩸 The sooner DIC is recognized, the better the chance of survival. Don’t wait—stay informed and prepared 🐶🐱💉