Cats are commonly affected by cardiovascular disease. Worldwide estimates indicate that greater than 10% of cats have an underlying heart condition that may lead to heart failure or other life-threatening complications. Determining a prognosis for a cat once they develop heart failure is extremely difficult. The most valuable information related to prognosis is determined from echocardiography. Unfortunately, an echocardiogram is an expensive diagnostic test that requires advanced training and skills to use effectively and is not widely available to most general practitioners. Our study seeks to determine if a simple blood test can provide valuable prognostic information for cats with heart failure. The results of this study will pave the way for developing a widely available blood test useful for all veterinarians.
EveryCat Health Foundation has combined funding from the Miller Trust and the Ricky Fund to fund this study.