Abstract: Background - Multiple acquired portosystemic shunts (MAPSS) develop secondary to portal hypertension (PH). In humans, PH has been associated with anemia, erythrocyte fragmentation, and thrombocytopenia, due to fragmentation. Hematologic abnormalities are more common and more severe in patients with advanced liver disease as opposed to patients with non-hepatic causes of PH. Hypothesis/Objectives - To determine if hematologic parameters in dogs with MAPSS are correlated to etiology or survival outcomes. Animals - Thirty-six client owned dogs diagnosed with MAPSS via ultrasound. Methods - Retrospective study evaluating the hematologic data from dogs with MAPPS. The institutional Diagnostic Imaging databases were searched using key terms associated with MAPSS. Records were available from 2014 through 2022. CBC and serum chemistry results, diagnostic imaging findings, diagnosis, and survival time were recorded. Results - The median age was 4 years (n=36, range 0.42-13 years). The median hematocrit was 38.8% (range 16.3-64.1%), platelet count median was 172x103/µL (range 10-412x103/µL). Erythrocyte poikilocytosis included schistocytosis (15%), keratocytosis (12%), and acanthocytosis (6%). Six dogs had primary liver disease, with a median hematocrit of 35% (range 26.6-46.0%) and a median platelet count of 159x103/µL (range 44–275x103/µL). Morphologic changes of erythrocytes in this group included schistocytosis (2/6) and keratocytosis (1/6). Elevated BUN was correlated with an increased risk of death (p = 0.04). Conclusions and Clinical Importance - Hematologic parameters were not correlated with survival and were not significantly different between dogs with and without primary liver disease.
