Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What NT-proBNP blood tests show in dogs and cats at vet visits
By O'Shaughnessy, Sarah et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2022·Bristol Veterinary School, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical findings associated with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide measurement in dogs and cats attending first opinion veterinary practices.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study looked at dogs and cats that had their N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels measured, which helps assess heart problems. In dogs, common symptoms included heart murmurs, coughing, and panting, while in cats, heart murmurs, suspected blood clots, and weight loss were frequently noted. The findings suggest that NT-proBNP testing is useful for diagnosing heart disease in pets showing these symptoms. The results could help veterinarians determine the best course of action for pets with heart issues.
People also search for: dog coughing heart murmur · cat weight loss heart problems · NT-proBNP test for pets
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Clinical findings associated with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement in dogs and cats in primary practice, and their relevance to published measurement indications, have not been described. METHODS: Using electronic health record data collected by the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network, appointments in which NT-proBNP was measured were identified using keyword-based text filtering. For these appointments, clinical findings were manually identified from each patient's clinical narrative (CN) and their frequencies described. RESULTS: CNs of 3510 appointments (357 dogs and 257 cats) from 99practices were evaluated. The most frequently recorded clinical findings in dogs were: heart murmur (n = 147, 41.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 36.1%-46.3%), coughing (n = 83, 23.2% (95% CI = 18.8%-27.6%)) and panting (n = 58, 16.2% (95% CI = 12.4%-20.0%)) and in cats: heart murmur (n = 143, 55.6% (95% CI = 49.5%-61.7%)), suspected thromboembolism (n = 88, 34.2% (95% CI = 28.4%-40.0%)) and weight loss (n = 53, 20.6% (95% CI = 15.7%-25.5%)). Dyspnoea and tachypnoea were infrequently reported in dogs (n = 29, 8.1% (95% CI = 5.3%-10.9%) and n = 21, 5.9% (95% CI = 3.5%-8.3%), respectively) and cats (n = 26, 10.1% (95% CI = 6.4%-13.8%) and n = 36, 14.0% (95% CI = 9.8%-18.2%), respectively). CONCLUSION: Clinical findings referable to cardiac disease were recorded contemporaneously with NT-proBNP measurement and suggested both published and other indications (coughing (in dogs and cats), and serial measurements and thromboembolism (in cats)) for testing.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34558065/