Episode 14: Hypercoagulability

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This episode covers hypercoagulability in veterinary patients, framed around Virchow's Triad — blood stasis, vessel wall injury, and hypercoagulability. It clarifies that hypercoagulability increases thrombosis risk but isn't the same as thrombosis itself, and that normal testing doesn't rule out clots driven by stasis or endothelial injury. The discussion walks through the coagulation balance between procoagulants, endogenous anticoagulants, and fibrinolysis, followed by a practical diagnostic approach using PT/PTT, fibrinogen, D-dimers, antithrombin, viscoelastic testing, and imaging. It wraps up with CURATIVE guideline risk categories and antithrombotic options including clopidogrel, heparins, and DOACs, emphasizing the balance between thrombosis prevention and bleeding risk.