HENDERSON, Nev., March 1, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The veterinarians at A Cat Hospital stress the importance of the cardiac BNP test for your cat. The veterinarians say detecting heart disease by a means of a blood test can help determine if your cat has heart disease and, if he does, measure the extent of the disease. Heart disease can greatly reduce the quality of your cat's life and can even cause premature death.
The veterinarians at A Cat hospital urge local cat owners to remember that a BNP test should be a part of a comprehensive veterinary exam in many cases. The veterinarians say that diagnosing feline cardiac problems is difficult because heart murmurs are relatively common in adult cats, and not every cat with a heart murmur has cardiac disease. When a veterinarian encounters a symptom-free cat with a fast or irregular heartbeat, or a cat with a family history of heart problems, he must gather information about the cat's heart size, function, and electrical activity. The veterinarian usually does this through x-rays and EKGs. These tests require time and equipment, and can be costly.
BNP testing offers a quick, inexpensive and accurate way for a veterinarian to assess a cat's heart health.
Veterinarian and owner of A Cat Hospital Dr. Trish Auge says, "BNP testing is one of the most important things a cat owner can do to determine whether a pet has heart disease, or measure the severity of that disease."
Certain cardiac problems can cause a cat's heart to produce BNP, which causes the level of BNP in the cat's blood to rise. Veterinarians from A Cat Hospital can perform a blood test that detects even small amounts of BNP to confirm the presence of cardiac disease in a cat.
As the heart problem worsens, the heart produces greater amounts of BNP, which increases the levels of BNP in the blood. Veterinarians can measure blood BNP levels to determine the severity of a cat's cardiac disease.
A Cat Hospital Recommends BNP as a Useful Screening Tool in Cats
BNP is helpful as a screening tool in cats that are showing signs of heart disease. It is also appropriate for use in cats without symptoms but that are at increased risk for cardiac disease, as a way to measure the progression of existing heart disease, and to evaluate the severity of heart disease.
BNP does not diagnose a specific disease but it does help identify cats with an increased risk of heart disease. BNP is not a replacement for other diagnostic tests, including echocardiograms and x-rays. False-positives and false-negatives are possible. BNP testing requires a great deal of veterinary expertise and training.
For more information about BNP testing for your cat, make an appointment with A Cat Hospital at http://www.acathospital.com/.