---
title: "Cardiopet ProBNP: Know Your Cat’s Heart Health"
description: "Learn how the Cardiopet ProBNP simple blood test screens for feline heart disease and helps detect cardiac issues before symptoms appear."
date: "2017-02-21T05:28:00Z"
author: "Just Cats Clinic"
image: "/img/bdba8adb"
canonical: "/cardiopet-probnp-know-your-cats-heart-health/"
---

# Cardiopet ProBNP: Know Your Cat’s Heart Health


It's American Heart Health Month, so Just Cats is celebrating by helping you understand more about your cat's heart
health!

We frequently recommend a laboratory test called the Cardiopet ProBNP. It's a simple blood test that can tell us a lot
about your cat's heart health. The ProBNP test works by detecting a protein that is released in response to cardiac
stretch or stress called N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP). In general, the concentration of the
NTproBNP protein will increase in proportion to the severity of the heart disease, giving us a marker for your cat's
heart health. Basically, the higher the NTproBNP value, the greater the concern for heart disease.

![Cat heart health evaluation](/img/bdba8adb)

While the Cardiopet ProBNP test isn't a substitute for a visit to the cardiologists at CVCA, it can be a helpful marker
in determining if a cardiology visit is needed. If during your cat's exam we hear a murmur or unusual rhythm, the ProBNP
test can help us determine the severity of the problem. If it's elevated, a trip to the cardiologist will be necessary
to determine the exact cause. If it's normal, then your doctor can help you determine the risk factors before any
anesthesia procedures and whether any additional follow-up diagnostics would be needed to investigate the cause further.

The ProBNP test is perhaps most helpful in screening for unknown heart disease in cats of all ages. At Just Cats, we
recently opted to add the Cardiopet ProBNP to all of our pre-operative lab work for young cats in our efforts to catch
asymptomatic heart disease in our younger patients. This can help make our anesthesia even safer. Heart disease in cats
often causes no noticeable symptoms until it's too late or your cat is already under anesthesia for preventive care like
spays, neuters, or dental cleanings. Our goal is to catch these cases before it's too late, and the Cardiopet ProBNP
test is a cost-effective and accurate place to start.

![Veterinary examination of a cat](/img/3aa6ea32)

That being said, the ProBNP test is not perfect, and its results can be skewed by other disease processes in the body.
Severe kidney disease, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, asthma, and chronic pulmonary disease can cause elevations in the
ProBNP protein. If your cat's level is elevated and they have no symptoms, murmur, or unusual rhythm, there may be
another disease process contributing. For this reason, we always recommend running the ProBNP with a complete blood
count (CBC) and chemistry panel.

It's our goal to make your cat's anesthesia as safe as possible, and the ProBNP test can be the first step! If you have
questions about your cat's heart health, or are interested in running the ProBNP test, call our office or let us know at
your next annual exam.