Connect with us

High blood pressure in cats – What to do (Extremely Worried)

Cats

High blood pressure in cats – What to do (Extremely Worried)

High blood pressure is well known in humans, but few owners know that cats can also suffer from high blood pressure. It is mainly encountered in elderly animals suffering from renal failure or hyperthyroidism. It is important to monitor the blood pressure of cats as hypertension can cause serious damage such as sudden loss of vision.

What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure varies over time between two values: systolic blood pressure (maximum blood pressure) and diastolic blood pressure (maximum blood pressure).

We talk about high blood pressure when the systolic blood pressure is above 140 mmHg persistently.

High blood pressure can be:

  • primary or idiopathic: no underlying condition is revealed
  • secondary to diseases most frequently (in 80 to 90% of cases). The two main causes are kidney failure and hyperthyroidism. But other conditions can lead to high blood pressure: cardiac, endocrine affections, etc.
  • due to the “white coat effect”: increase in blood pressure during the consultation with the veterinarian linked to stress

High blood pressure is often secondary to a disease, the detection of high blood pressure can help refer the veterinarian to an underlying condition such as kidney failure.

Blood pressure can be measured by the veterinarian using a measuring device. A cuff is placed on the animal’s paw. No anesthesia is required and the measurement of blood pressure is relatively quick and painless.

To avoid an increase in blood pressure linked to the “white coat effect”, it is necessary to leave the cat calm in its transport cage for about ten minutes. The blood pressure measurement must be done in the presence of the owner. The handling of the cat should be limited as much as possible.

Take a Read Next:  Tick-borne diseases in cats

Since blood pressure is more common in older cats, it is advisable to measure blood pressure once a year during the health check in cats over 8 years of age. When underlying diseases are diagnosed (renal failure and hyperthyroidism in particular), more frequent blood pressure checks are recommended.

What are the consequences of high blood pressure?

High blood pressure can lead to eye, brain, kidney and heart damage. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk of damage to these organs.

High blood pressure can result in sudden loss of vision secondary to bilateral retinal detachment. It can also be responsible for retinal hemorrhages, glaucoma, etc. High blood pressure can therefore be demonstrated following the appearance of sudden blindness in cats, without any warning signs. Generally, the lesions are too advanced during the consultation and the cat retains sequelae.

Brain damage can lead to seizures, loss of vision, loss of balance …

High blood pressure can also cause worsening kidney failure.

What are the treatments ?

There are treatments for high blood pressure in cats. They must be combined with the treatment of the underlying disease (renal failure for example).

A follow-up of the arterial pressure is necessary following the implementation of the treatment.

Continue Reading
You may also like...
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Cats

Advertisement
Advertisement

Facebook

To Top
Pets R Priority