If your pet has been requested to attend a blood pressure clinic, the veterinary professionals caring for your pet must feel that there is a reason for monitoring it. This will usually either be because they are predisposed to having blood pressure problems due to their breed, age, previous diagnosis, or medication side effects; or because they have been diagnosed with hypertension. So what happens when you go in?
Table of contents
What do blood pressure readings tell your vet?
When your vet takes a blood pressure reading, they will take a systolic blood pressure, a diastolic blood pressure and also work out an average. A blood pressure reading tells us the force of blood experienced against the walls of an artery. Blood pressure affects your pet as it contributes to how well blood is transported around their body.
If you imagine a hose pipe, the blood pressure is equivalent to the force of water spraying out of the end of the pipe. The harder and faster the pressure of the water, or blood, is, the more force experienced by the walls of the hose pipe, or blood vessels. The higher the blood pressure, the quicker materials are forced out of the blood vessels into the body. However, if it is too high (as in hypertension), then damage to organs such as the kidney and eyes can occur, and there is an increased risk of abnormal bleeding, such as a stroke.
How does a vet or veterinary nurse take a blood pressure reading?
There are a few different methods which can be used to assess blood pressure. The technique chosen will be determined by your practices’ equipment, handler skill and patient’s level of cooperation. Blood pressure is affected by many things, especially stress. Your veterinary professional will therefore want your pet to be as calm as possible to produce accurate readings. This often means keeping your patient in a kennel for a period of time prior to taking the readings. Multiple readings will be taken and an average worked out.
A good and experiences nurse and/or vet will keep the environment calm and relaxed.
How often will I need to go?
The frequency of blood pressure readings necessary will vary and be specific to each pet. Your veterinary professional will always take a thorough history for your pet, asking general questions regarding their behaviour, wellness and eating or drinking habits. A thorough clinical examination will be performed including a weight check to ensure we can detect any changes as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will take note of which medication your pet is on, how often you give it and how much you give. Try to bring as much information as possible to your consultation in order to optimise the time.
Why are regular check-ups needed?
Regular blood pressure readings allow us to monitor change. Any sudden changes need to be addressed and medication may be administered to help control it. This dosage will be changed accordingly. High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, can cause blindness, blurred vision, shortness of breath and wobbliness (ataxia). Low blood pressure, also called hypotension, can cause hypothermia, necrosis of skin, weakness, fainting and confusion. If you will struggle financially to afford the relevant blood pressure monitoring for your pet, please discuss this with your veterinary surgeon and alternative methods of testing may be on offer.
Which conditions may affect my pet’s blood pressure?
Blood pressure affects and is affected by many different organ systems. Many of these diseases are more common in older patients meaning blood pressure monitoring is commonly performed in a geriatric screen. Among the more common are:
Kidney disease
Animals suffering with kidney disease regularly need blood pressure monitoring, whether an acute or chronic case, to assess deterioration. High blood pressure is a common result of kidney disease, especially in cats, but can also contribute to declining kidney function.
Diabetes
Patients suffering from diabetes may suffer with blood pressure abnormalities causing blindness. Ophthalmic exams are incredibly important and regular blood glucose monitoring should also be performed.
Cardiac patients
There are many different pathologies of the heart. Some cause an increase or decrease in blood pressure which will affect cardiac output (the total amount of blood ejected from the heart).
Thyroid disease
Cats suffering from hyperthyroidism will have a high blood pressure. On the other hand, dogs with hypothyroidism commonly have low blood pressure.
Critical care patients
Any patients that are in a critical condition will require blood pressure monitoring. Different types of shock will affect blood pressure and different rates of intravenous fluids and medications will be needed. Some blood pressure medication will work to lower the blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels, whilst other medication can do the opposite and constrict the blood vessel meaning, if it pumps the same volume of blood through the vessel, the pressure will naturally be higher.
To conclude, there are many different reasons for monitoring a pet’s blood pressure. If your veterinary professionals recommend it, we highly support it.
Discussion