VETINUITY
Clopidogrel or aspirin for a cat with heart disease?
Clopidogrel. In the FAT CAT trial, cats that had already thrown a clot had fewer recurrences and lived longer on clopidogrel than on aspirin.
● ANSWER
Sourced & dated
What is the clopidogrel dose for dogs and cats?
Clopidogrel is dosed at 1.1-4 mg/kg PO once daily in dogs, with an optional one-time loading dose up to 10 mg/kg, and at 18.75 mg per cat PO once daily in cats, the FAT CAT trial dose.
● VETINUITY CLOPIDOGREL DOSE CALCULATOR
Vetinuity clopidogrel dose calculator
Dog doses. Cats receive a flat 18.75 mg per cat once daily (a quarter of a 75 mg tablet).
● WHAT'S DOCUMENTED
Vetinuity’s clopidogrel dose table: dogs take 1.1-4 mg/kg by mouth once a day, with an optional single loading dose of up to 10 mg/kg when a fast antiplatelet effect is needed, and cats take a flat 18.75 mg (a quarter of a 75 mg tablet) once a day. The Vetinuity clopidogrel dose calculator above works out the canine milligrams. It sits in the drug reference of Vetinuity, the clinical assistant that emergency veterinarian Brian Toncray, DVM, designed for exam-room speed.
Clopidogrel doses by indication
| Indication | Dog | Cat | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMHA thromboprophylaxis | 1.1-4 mg/kg, optional load up to 10 mg/kg | Not applicable | PO q24h |
| Cardiomyopathy with high clot risk, or after arterial thromboembolism | Not typical | 18.75 mg per cat | PO q24h |
| Protein-losing nephropathy or enteropathy, other hypercoagulable states | 1.1-4 mg/kg | 18.75 mg per cat | PO q24h |
Why it is preferred over aspirin
The ACVECC CURATIVE guidelines favor clopidogrel over aspirin when an antiplatelet drug is chosen in dogs, and allow the two to be combined. In cats the FAT CAT trial randomized cats that had survived a cardiogenic arterial thromboembolism to clopidogrel or aspirin; clopidogrel reduced recurrence and lengthened the time to the next event. Full platelet inhibition takes a few days without a loading dose, so load the dog that needs protection now.
Cautions
Bleeding is the main risk: stop clopidogrel about 5 to 7 days before elective surgery when you can, and think twice in a dog with thrombocytopenia or active gastrointestinal bleeding. Clopidogrel is a prodrug activated in the liver, so response varies between animals. Cats object to the taste strongly enough that compliance, not dose, is often what fails.
Related: IMHA, pimobendan, anticoagulant rodenticide.
● SOURCES
- 1. Goggs R, Blais MC, Brainard BM, et al. American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Consensus on the Rational Use of Antithrombotics in Veterinary Critical Care (CURATIVE) guidelines: Small-animal. J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2019;29(1):12-36. PMID 30654421. Antiplatelet drug dosing recommendations. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 2. Hogan DF, Fox PR, Jacob K, et al. Secondary prevention of cardiogenic arterial thromboembolism in the cat: The double-blind, randomized, positive-controlled feline arterial thromboembolism; clopidogrel vs. aspirin trial (FAT CAT). J Vet Cardiol. 2015;17 Suppl 1:S306-317. PMID 26776588. Abstract, 18.75 mg/cat q24h versus aspirin. Checked 2026-10-26.
● RELATED ANSWERS
- IMHA Treatment Protocol in Dogs
Evidence-based canine IMHA treatment protocol from the 2019 ACVIM consensus, with antithrombotics per the ACVECC CURATIVE guidelines.
- Pimobendan (Vetmedin) Dose for Dogs and Cats
Pimobendan is dosed at 0.25-0.3 mg/kg PO every 12 hours in dogs (0.5 mg/kg/day total on the label), and extra-label at about 0.625-1.25 mg per cat every 12 hours in cats with heart failure.
- Rat Poison in Dogs: Vitamin K1 Dose and Duration
Vitamin K1 at 2.5 mg/kg PO every 12 hours or 5 mg/kg PO every 24 hours for four weeks with a fatty meal, then a PT check after the last dose.
- Prednisolone Dose for Dogs and Cats
Prednisolone is dosed at 0.5-1 mg/kg/day for inflammation and 2 mg/kg/day for immunosuppression in dogs, and 1-2 mg/kg/day and 2-4 mg/kg/day in cats, which should get prednisolone rather than prednisone.
● FAQ
How do I get a cat to take clopidogrel?
The tablet is very bitter and causes drooling. Put the quarter tablet in an empty gelatin capsule or use a compounded flavored form.
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