How to interpret proBNP test results for my cat's heart health?

The BNP has been shown to have a low specificity for heart disease, meaning that there are many things that can cause a false positive. While a negative can be a fairly good indicator that there is no significant structural heart disease, a positive may or may not mean the heart is affected. I typically recommend following up with an echocardiogram (not sure if that is what is scheduled, EKG usually refers to electrocardiogram which is different) to look for structural heart disease. There may or may not be a problem with the heart so I would try not to worry too much until you have more information.

The only blood test that I am aware of that could show evidence of heart disease would be a proBNP test. This protein increases when there is increased stress on the heart but there can be some false positives and a positive does not always mean heart failure or heart disease. When a veterinarian is suspicious of heart failure they may also recommend running a blood count and chemistry panel to help rule out infections and to check electrolytes and kidney values before starting treatment for heart failure.

Much more information would be required in order to make any sense or use of blood results, a summary of what has been concerning you, her signs and symptoms and response to any previous treatment i would be required at a minimum. It is unusual to have a high RBC/HCT (more than normal red blood cells )and low MCH/MCHC (usually found when recovering from anaemia). This may indicate the red blood cell production process is gone wrong and an examination of the cells under a microscope by a specialist pathologist and possible bone marrow biopsy may be required. Occasionally accidental exposure to human medications used to promote blood production can produce similar results

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Creatinine level of 3.3mg/dL does suggest CRF. If Patch was on iv fluids treatment recently (between these two blood tests), it is possible for CREA level to go down to normal. However, if Patch did not receive any iv fluids, I would suspect one of the reading was incorrect and should be repeated. High BUN suggest kidney disease as well, but it could also be due to dehydration, gastrointestinal bleed, recent feeding and more. Elevated TBIL is also a concern as it could be a sign of liver / gall bladder / bile duct disease. Less commonly, it is due to hemolytic anemia (in that case Patch would have evidence of anemia). Please, get in touch with your local vets as ideally, the blood test should be repeated and should include hematology.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! No, the basophils can be slightly high and not be a real concern. In his case, they are just very mildly elevated and not really something concerning. That could be due to some degree or inflammation that may resolve on its own. Best of luck!

Thank you for sending over the copies of Gonzie's blood work! Looking at the provided results, I see that his creatinine is a tiny bit elevated. This value increases with kidney damage or dehydration. I'd certainly recommend talking to his vet about rechecking his kidney function in a month or two, as well as running a urinalysis to see how well his kidneys are working to concentration his urine. The monocyte increase is extremely mild. I don't worry when this type of white blood cell increases a tiny bit while other white blood cell lines (especially the neutrophils and lymphocytes) are normal. Stress alone can trigger this minor elevation. The RDW helps to give the proportions of the red blood cells' size and volume. Again, this minor elevation does not seem to be significant. A 50% hematocrit is slightly elevated, which means that Gonzie has some extra red blood cells. I would much rather see too many red blood cells than too few! His blood volume could also be more concentrated if he's a bit dehydrated. Platelets can be challenging to read on CBCs since they can clump together, so the machine may read a clump of several platelets as just one single cell. In these cases, it's always useful to manually examine a blood smear under the microscope to determine if adequate numbers of platelets are present. Nothing on the provided lab work makes me terribly concerned at this moment, but I do think it's worth tracking his kidney values and confirming an accurate platelet count. I hope that everything goes well for Gonzie!

Oh no. Poor kitty. Blood pressure can be affected by either of these conditions, but is impossible to say for sure without getting her blood pressure checked. This is a tough one, because there are so many possible causes for her weakness and slow breathing, but I would have to assume that her underlying heart condition may be the culprit here. Saddle thrombus is also a big concern with cats that have underling heart disease, and can lead to sudden paralysis of the hindlegs, with vocalization (moaning). I know you don't trust the other vets in the area, but it may be worthwhile at least taking her in to see if her blood pressure is indeed the problem. Getting some bloodwork analysis on her may also be indicated, depending on her physical exam findings. We have to keep mind too, that unfortunately CHF patients can only be helped with medication for oh so long, because it does not cure the underlying problem. I hope that Brancinia is going to be ok, but its best to take her in immediately. Waiting for your preferred vet in this situation may be more detrimental to her overall wellbeing than taking her in to determine her current status. I wish you all the best with your furry friend. Take care.