NorthStar VETS Cool Case Mo


The team at NorthStar VETS is doing innovative and amazing things every day as they work to advance the level of care available to your pet. This series of posts highlights cool cases at NorthStar VETS and the types of things done to save pets and improve their quality of life. These are cases using innovative and cutting-edge medical techniques, and/or stories of pets beating the odds. This is the story of Mo, a patient of our Emergency and Critical Care team.

Mo1About Mo
Mo is a 7-year-old neutered male Greyhound who has a history of epilepsy and takes medication for seizure control. One evening he had a seizure, fell, and hit his left hind leg causing a large bruise, swelling, and lameness of that leg. He was treated with pain medications, but returned and had to be hospitalized due to pain and progressive swelling and bruising. Mo developed severe bruising that progressed from his left hind limb, to his right hind limb, to his belly and chest, and to his right front limb.

Mo’s condition
Mo developed a condition known as hyperfibrinolysis, a problem Greyhounds are recognized to get. This is a problem where the clotting system becomes activated by bleeding or trauma, but the balance of clot formation and clot break-down/clot regulation become out of balance, and there is excessive clot break down. This excessive clot break-down leads to severe bleeding and bruising. The body continues to try to form a new clot, so this also uses up clotting factors, as the body forms new clots they also get broken down, leading to a cycle of perpetuated bleeding and bruising.

Mo2Mo’s treatment
Mo received aminocaproic acid injections. This is a medication that inhibits the activation of plasmin, which is the main enzyme involved in clot breakdown. Mo needed increasing doses of aminocaproic acid until he showed signs of responding. He also received plasma transfusions (the liquid component of blood that contains clotting factors) to replace all the clotting factors he had used up in making those blood clots. Some patients bleed so much, they even need red blood cell transfusions due to anemia if there is excessive blood loss.

How things went for Mo
Mo spent 7 days in the ICU receiving his treatments, aminocaproic acid, plasma transfusions, pain medications, sedation for anxiety, and physical therapy. He was discharged when he had no progressive bruising, the bruising was healing, he was comfortable and walking well. He made a full recovery at home and all of the bruising resolved. Mo was a pleasure to work with, and his family was so happy to have him back home!

Greyhounds are frequently blood donors, but in Mo’s case, he was able to benefit from the donors in our program!

Learn more about the Emergency and Critical Care service at NorthStar VETS and learn more about the NorthStar VETS Blood Bank for Dogs and Cats.

Barbara Maton, DVM, DACVECCBarbara Maton, DVM, DACVECC
Dr. Maton is originally from Florida, where she earned her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of North Florida, and studied veterinary medicine at the University of Florida, obtaining her DVM in 2006. She completed a rotating internship focused on emergency medicine at SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Center in Virginia, then moved to Pittsburgh where she worked as an emergency veterinarian for two years and completed her residency in the specialty in 2012. After helping to start a critical care service at an established veterinary referral hospital in Delaware, she joined NorthStar VETS in 2014. Her clinical and research interests include trauma, electrolyte derangements, anticoagulant therapies and CPR medicine.

Outside of work, Dr. Maton enjoys spending time with her husband, cooking, gardening, foreign travel, running, cycling and swimming. She shares her home with a possessive bird, two cats, and a lovable mixed-breed dog.


The information presented on this web site is not intended to take the place of your family veterinarian’s advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Discuss this information with your own veterinarian to determine what is right for your pet. All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. We can not and do not give you medical advice via this blog. The information contained in this online site and emails is presented in summary form only and intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge. The information should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation or advice of your veterinarian. We do not recommend the self-management of your pet’s health problems.

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