High Blood Pressure in Cats. Like humans, cats can also suffer from high blood pressure (known as Hypertension), a condition more frequently seen in older cats. If uncontrolled high blood pressure in the cat goes unnoticed for a. If your cat's diet is. High Blood Pressure in Cats & What To Do. Home / Hypertension (high blood pressure) in Cats. Your veterinarian may also recommend a low sodium diet. Your cat will have to have it’s blood pressure. However, there is a difference in the type of high blood pressure experienced by humans and that of cats, as feline high blood pressure tends to occur as an underlying problem related to another medical condition (. The most common diseases to be linked to feline hypertension are chronic kidney failure (one of the highest causes of death in domestic cats, as very few simply die from old age), and hyperthyroidism. It is sometimes possible to see blood appearing at the front of the eye, even without veterinary ophthalmic instruments. Heart. Hypertension can cause a thickening of one of the chambers of the heart which affects the general heart function with blood clots causing loss of blood supply, and it is then much harder for the heart to pump blood round the body. Cats suffering from high blood pressure may become breathless and lethargic, and could ultimately suffer from heart failure. Kidneys. The kidneys are affected by hypertension leading to a high risk of kidney failure, and it is very likely to make an existing renal problem far worse. If the condition advances to the extent that blood is detected in the eyes, or the cat appears to be having problems with his sight, it may have advanced too far to be treated satisfactorily. It may be possible to repair a torn retina, but once it has actually detached this is not generally treatable and blindness is sadly the most likely outcome, although many cats can cope very well with visual impairment if the level of blood pressure can be lowered and then stablilised. Diagnosis. It is often difficult to diagnose hypertension in itself without clinical tests being carried out by your vet, as the symptoms can be very varied and may well relate to the primary disease. Tests are usually carried out at the surgery, and it only takes about 2. Some cats with high blood pressure don’t show any discernable clinical symptoms until the condition has reached an advanced state, but early recognition of hypertension is very important to minimise the severe and often permanently damaging effects of persistently high blood pressure on the eyes and other vital organs. Various means of assessing a cat’s blood pressure are now available, with the most common being similar to that often used for humans, with an inflatable pad placed around one of the legs or even around the tail. Treatment and Diet. High blood pressure in cats can be managed to a certain extent with anti- hypertensive drugs, the most effective being . The success of the treatment also depends on how advanced the hypertention has become when it is diagnosed, but the current prescribed treatments do not appear to have any debilitating side effects, and may well be able to extend your cat’s quality of life for some considerable time if their blood pressure can be lowered. Treatment is easier to manage in instances where hypertension is the primary area of concern and there are no other underlying medical conditions, and in cases like this, complications (such as eye damage) can normally be avoided if high blood pressure is identified early on. Most cats can still be fed on a normal proprietary cat food (and you should check the label and choose one with a lower salt content), although cats with chronic kidney failure will probably benefit from a special diet, usually available from your Vet, where protein and phosphate are restricted. Fortunately, manufacturers of these special diets have now managed to produce a formula that is more palatable to cats, and many are now perfectly happy to eat them. Diet & Weight Management;. A CT scan is an X. The risk of stroke can be reduced by controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and. Hypertension is very damaging to a cat’s body. High blood pressure causes small. Signs of Feline Hypertension. High blood pressure by. A low-salt diet is. Have something to say? Then leave your comments. High blood pressure in cats. Feline hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure, is usually seen in older cats, and is most often secondary to an already existing disease such as kidney failure, heart disease, or hyperthyroidism. Accurate diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent serious consequences. Symptoms. High blood pressure is known as the silent killer, because by itself, it has no symptoms. High blood pressure causes wear and tear on the heart and kidneys. It can cause small blood vessels to leak and rupture. If this happens in the eye, it can lead to blindness. If it happens in the brain, it can lead to a stroke. Diagnosis. Obtaining an accurate blood pressure measurement on cats can be challenging. Most cats are stressed when they visit the vet, and stress elevates blood pressure. There’s even a name for this in human medicine: “white coat syndrome.” This is a phenomenon in which patients exhibit elevated blood pressure in a clinical setting, but not in other settings, and it applies to cats as well. Blood pressure in cats is measured the same way it is measured in humans: with an inflatable cuff and an ultrasonic listening device called a Doppler. In order to minimize stress during this non- invasive test, it helps if it is done in a quiet room, away from barking dogs and other noises. Usually, having the cat’s guardian present can help calm the cat. The vet will take several readings, to rule out the above mentioned white coat effect as much as possible. If blood pressure is consistently high after taking several measurements, additional tests will be necessary, including, at a minimum, a complete bloodcount, blood chemistry, and urinalysis. Risk Factors. Cats who have one or more of the following conditions are at risk for elevated blood pressure: Hyperthyroidism. Chronic renal failure and other kidney disease. Diabetes. Treatment. The decision whether to treat hypertension should be based on reliable, repeatable blood pressure readings, and will be influenced by any concurrent disease. Vets must take the cat’s temperament and anxiety level into consideration when interpreting blood pressure test results. Normal cats often have transient elevated blood pressure due to the stress of being at the vet’s and the exam itself. The treatment decision will also depend on an individual cat’s risk factors. Treatment will first target the underlying disease. Medications that can exacerbate hypertension, such as steroids, will need to be eliminated or reduced. Excessive sodium in the diet should be avoided, but a low salt diet is not necessarily indicated. Maintaining normal potassium levels is important, and a low salt diet can lead to loss of potassium without any beneficial effects on blood pressure. If treatment is indicated, the type of drug used will depend on the overall diagnosis. The goal of treatment is to reduce blood pressure into a range that minimizes organ damage. Once blood pressure is controlled, it should be rechecked every three months. Cats in a hypertensive crisis (severe neurological symptoms or sudden onset blindness) will need emergency treatment and will usually require hospitalization and careful monitoring. The prognosis for these cats is variable. Some cats with sudden onset blindness will recover some of their lost vision if treatment is initiated soon enough. The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends blood pressure monitoring as part of a regular bi- annual senior cat exam in their Senior Care Guidelines. Photo Flickr Creative Commons.
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