The Cardiac Minimum Database: From Clinical Suspicion to Diagnostic Clarity

"Is the heart part of the problem?" 

It's one of the most common questions in small animal practice, and one that a single test can't answer. In this session, Dr. Stacey Hendershott breaks down how to build a practical cardiac minimum database for dogs and cats with suspected cardiovascular disease, and how to use it to move from clinical suspicion to diagnostic clarity.

You'll see exactly where cardiac biomarkers, such as NT-proBNP and cardiac troponin I, fit into that picture, what each one actually measures (myocardial stress vs. injury), where they help, and where they hit their limits. A normal result doesn't mean no heart disease forever, and an abnormal one doesn't diagnose a condition on its own. During the webinar, you'll discover the value is in reading biomarkers alongside history, physical exam, and imaging, not instead of them.

By the end, you'll walk away with a multimodal approach you can put to work the next day for earlier recognition, sharper risk assessment, and more confident monitoring of cardiac patients.

You'll learn how to:

• Build a practical cardiac minimum database for dogs and cats with suspected cardiovascular disease

• Differentiate what NT-proBNP and cardiac troponin I each contribute and when to reach for one, the other, or both

• Interpret biomarker results in the context of the whole patient, including key limitations, confounders, and when additional cardiac diagnostics are warranted

• Apply a multimodal approach to earlier recognition, risk assessment, and ongoing monitoring of cardiovascular disease