High blood pressure: dogs, cats vulnerable
Q: My old poodle, “Mimi,” just went for her annual visit. After finding a few changes on her exam and blood tests, my veterinarian recommended we check her blood pressure. I didn’t even know dogs could get high blood pressure. How do they test for that? What do we do if Mimi does have high blood pressure? P.W., Farragut
A: Yes, dogs (and cats) can develop high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Hypertension can be primary or secondary. Primary hypertension occurs when there is no known disease process that is causing the hypertension. Secondary hypertension is far more common; there are several medical conditions that can secondarily cause hypertension, including kidney disease, diabetes and adrenal disease. Certain medications are also known to cause hypertension.
On Mimi’s exam, there may have been several things that prompted your veterinarian’s recommendation. Dogs and cats with undiagnosed hypertension can have ocular, cardiac, or neurological abnormalities. Occasionally, the physical exam will be normal.
Certainly, we understand that all dogs don’t enjoy going to the vet. If Mimi is especially nervous, your vet may recommend checking blood pressure again in a week or two to rule out artificially high readings, as ‘white coat syndrome’ happens with pets too. Using a special machine made for animals, systolic readings (the top number) should be under 160.
If Mimi ends up having hypertension, please know there is medication to treat it. It is important to know if she has a concurrent disease or not, as she will need both conditions treated for optimal health and blood pressure control. Best of luck to her.
If you have questions about your pet, e-mail Dr. Myers at lenoircityac@gmail.com
