People

High blood pressure in humans is a problem. However, the same is true for your cat or dog.  

Animal doctor Rob Lückerath says the following in Het Nieuwsblad, “It is not a disease in itself, but usually a symptom of an underlying problem and it can lead to complications or make the basic problem worse more quickly.” 

How to measure your pet's blood pressure? 
In cats and dogs, you do it on the forepaw. It can also be done on the tail, but then the measurement is a little less reliable. Because stress can affect blood pressure, it is important during a consultation to keep your animal as calm as possible. Therefore, the veterinarian will also measure the blood pressure several times and take the average of this.  

Why have the blood pressure measured? 
This is especially important in older animals. Excessive blood pressure (hypertension) is usually the result of an underlying disease. This can range from kidney disease to heart disease, Cushing's disease (hormonal disease especially in dogs) or just a thyroid gland that works too fast (in cats) and diabetes. Indirectly, obesity can also be a cause of elevated blood pressure. It is important to address the causes quickly or it could end up fatal for your pet.  

Symptoms of hypertension in your animal 
The following symptoms may indicate a particular condition that can lead to hypertension: 
-sudden loss of vision 
-eating 
-significantly increased urination and drinking 
-eye bleeding 
-your dog or cat gets tired more quickly 

What can you do about it? 
Just as in people with hypertension a pill and adapted diet solves a lot, this is also the case with your pet. If you catch it in time and the underlying cause is addressed, appropriate medication is often enough to get the blood pressure back to normal.

Go to a licensed vet for the appropriate diagnose and care.

(FVDV for Tagtik/Source: Nieuwsblad/Illustration picture: Unsplash)