Canine & Feline Specific Assays Dog

Canine NT-proBNP

Canine NT-proBNP is a blood test that shows how much strain a dog's heart is under. A high level may point to heart disease and helps tell a heart cause of cough or fast breathing from a lung cause.

Sample: Serum
Quantity: 3 mL
Report: Confirmed when you book
Collection: Free in Bhopal

What this test checks

NT-proBNP level in a dog's serum
Strain or stretch on the heart muscle
Whether the level is normal or raised compared with the lab's range
Change in the level over time if the test is repeated

Benefits of this test

Helps the vet judge whether a cough or fast breathing is more likely from the heart or from the lungs.
Needs only a blood sample, so no special heart equipment is needed to collect it.
Can help the vet decide if a dog with a murmur needs a heart ultrasound or chest X-ray.
May show heart strain in at-risk dogs before clear signs appear.
Can be repeated to follow the heart over time.

Often discussed at these ages:Senior Dog

When your vet may advise it

A dog has a new cough or one that keeps coming back, especially at night or after rest.
A dog breathes fast or hard at rest, or gets tired quickly on walks.
The vet hears a heart murmur and wants to know if the heart is under strain.
A dog faints or collapses.
A dog from a breed prone to heart disease is being checked, as the vet advises.
A dog with known heart disease needs a follow-up.

About this test

When the heart muscle is stretched or under strain, it releases a substance called proBNP, which splits into two parts. One part, NT-proBNP, stays in the blood and can be measured. The more strain on the heart, the higher the level tends to be.

For this test, blood is drawn and the lab measures NT-proBNP in the serum, the clear liquid part of blood. The test is made for dogs. It is not a heart scan. It shows whether the heart seems to be under strain, but it does not show the shape of the heart or the exact cause.

Vets use it when a dog coughs, breathes fast or tires quickly, to help tell heart trouble from lung or airway trouble. It is also used when a vet hears a heart murmur, an extra whooshing sound through the stethoscope, to help decide whether a chest X-ray or heart ultrasound is needed.

How to prepare

Follow your vet's advice about fasting, and tell the vet about any heart or other medicines your dog takes. Anywhere in Bhopal, sample collection is free, and reporting time is confirmed when you book. Outside Bhopal, your vet can send the serum to our lab by courier or bus parcel, and we coordinate by phone or WhatsApp.

Reading the result

A raised value may suggest the heart is under strain, and a low value makes heart failure less likely as the cause of cough or fast breathing. A registered veterinarian reads it with your dog's signs, a chest X-ray and, where needed, a heart ultrasound.

Questions about Canine NT-proBNP

What does a high NT-proBNP result mean in a dog?

A high value suggests the heart may be under strain. It does not name the exact heart problem. Your vet will use it with your dog's signs, a chest X-ray and often a heart ultrasound to decide the next step.

Can this test replace a heart ultrasound?

No. NT-proBNP shows heart strain, but it cannot show the size, valves or walls of the heart. A heart ultrasound and a chest X-ray give that picture. The blood test helps the vet decide whether those are needed.

Can other problems raise NT-proBNP?

Yes. Some other problems, such as kidney disease, can also raise it. This is why the vet reads the result with the dog's signs and other tests, and does not rely on the number alone.

If my dog's result is normal, is the heart fine?

Not completely. A normal result makes heart failure less likely as the cause of a cough or fast breathing, so the vet may look at the lungs and airways next. It cannot rule out every heart problem, so the vet still goes by the signs and examination.

Before you book this test

Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.

Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.

Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.