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Echocardiogram vs Cardio Pet Pro BNP

post #1 of 3
1/20/12 at 4:18am
Thread Starter 

I am going back and forth on whether to have the blood test or the ECG on Beeshee Marie's brother and mom.  The vet was very sure that her heart problem was inherited due to her very young age.  I am so scared mom has it and gave it to them and her brother may have it too.Altho it could just as easily have come from the father, Ranger, who was a big old stray.  He has since disappeared.  sigh.

 

I tend to think I should have the ECG.  Cut to the chase in other words.  From what I have read, even if the heart shows abnormalities, the blood test wouldn't indicate that.  Isn't it better to actually "see" the heart ?  Yes, the test is more money.  It is 260.00 for the blood test for the two of them.  It is 320 for the ECG for one of them.  Now that is only 50.00 more for one to have it done.  I would probably take Fetch, her brother first.  Then when I have recovered financially from that, take the other.  Maybe the beginning of next month. This will be done by a cardiologist, not my regular vet.

 

It just seems that would be the gold standard, the ECG.  I know it is only a picture in time.  But it is a picture, where the blood test can be negative, but still have visible problems that it won't show.

 

Am I making any sense?  What are your thoughts on this?  I have the appt for the bloodtest next Tuesday. I want to do the best thing here....cannot go through loosing one of them so suddenly again.  They are my responsibility and I must do the best for them.

 

Thanks.

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post #2 of 3
1/20/12 at 6:54am
What does your regular vet recommend? My vets do the Cardiopet proBNP as a complement to regular senior blood panels if the owner opts for it... I had it done for both Jamie and Miezi (a year apart, since she's a year younger). In Jamie's case, it was positive, and a cardiac ultrasound /echocardiogram was recommended. In other words, the Cardiopet test wasn't supposed to replace the echo, but indicate whether it was called for. Miezi's was negative and nothing further was done. This site gives an explanation of how the test works.

How cooperative are Fetch and his mom at the vet's? Our cardiologist prefers the echo, but has been unable to perform it on Jamie, so she uses the Cardiopet test to monitor the progression of his HCM. It's not ideal, but better than nothing. Since the difference in price isn't all that great, I personally would probably go straight to the echocardiogram if the cats usually cooperated and chances were that HCM was in the line.

Jamie was from a litter of five, and HCM wasn't diagnosed in his four siblings. However, they all died of other causes at fairly young ages, so may very well have been found to have it later.
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post #3 of 3
1/20/12 at 12:04pm
Having lost one cat to HCM with no symptoms and no warning signs I would like to say, please skip the blood test and go for the ultrasound. Explanation here
if you scroll down to
Diagnosis of cardiomyopathy
 
I have two cats (both elderly) with a murmur who do not have heart disease of any kind.
So I'm including this article for you for information on heart murmurs
 
And one more thing. Cats can develop heart disease at any time, especially when they get older. My Rosie had no heart disease of any kind when she was young but at one point as she was aging the ultrasound detected HCM. And ultimately the HCM made treating CRF with the fluids they need so much, so desperately, for the kidneys, impossible.
 
I'm trying to say, if you're ever worried about any of your babies having heart disease,
you need to test periodically for it with an ultrasound. One test is simply not enough.
 
Earlier this month when one of mine had to go in for a dental I was reading up on heart disease again, just for information. And I found something disturbing that, as a layperson, I don't think I completely understand. I believe it has to do with the blood test they use for detecting heart disease. Here is what I found
 
Anyway, I'm very, very sorry about the baby you've just lost. Heart disease is a heartbreaking disease for which, in my experience, is no comfort, there is nothing, absolutely nothing than can make losing one of our babies to it less traumatic, less heartbreaking. It's a horrible disease our babies don't deserve. And what's even more heartbreaking is that we can't protect them from it, there is nothing, absolutely nothing we can do to make sure they won't ever develop heart disease.
 
(((HUGS)))

Edited by Violet - 1/20/12 at 1:16pm
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