RICHARD GOWSHALL of Eastcott Veterinary Hospital explains why the detection of hypertension is crucial for your cat's wellbeing.

Despite sleeping for 22 hours a day and having no mortgage payments to make, older cats are susceptible to high blood pressure (hypertension).

Cats cannot tell us when they experience symptoms such as head-aches and blurred vision, so hyper-tension can only be detected when blood pressure is checked at the vets'.

Early detection of hypertension is essential to prevent major conditions such as heart failure, kidney problems and blindness.

MEASURING BLOOD PRESSURE

The principle of measuring a cat's blood pressure is largely the same as in a human.

A cuff is inflated to block blood flow in an artery (usually front leg or tail), pressure is then slowly released, and when flow returns in the artery, the pressure within the cuff is noted.

Detecting blood flow in tiny arteries in cats is challenging, but modern technology allows us to do this.

WHAT CAUSES IT IN CATS?

Understanding the cause is vital as treating this allows us to treat the problem at its roots. Causes include:

  • Hyperthyroidism - many older cats suffer from an overactive thyroid. The disease causes many signs such as weight loss and diarrhoea but high blood pressure is the most dangerous. The signs of hyperthyroidism can sometimes be easy for an experienced vet to spot but diagnosis must be confirmed with a blood test.
  • Kidney disease - this is very common in older cats and some of these cats suffer from hypertension. It is important to consider blood pressure measurement in any cat with kidney disease, especially those with high amounts of protein in their urine. Diagnosis is made after examination with blood and urine tests.
  • Essential hypertension - just like in some of us, some cats just have high blood pressure!

WHAT DAMAGE DOES IT DO?

High blood pressure damages the tiny blood vessels in almost all organs but three organs are especially susceptible:

  • Heart disease - constantly pumping against high pressure causes the heart muscle to thicken. Ultimately, this causes inefficiency of the heart and can lead to heart failure.
  • Blindness - frequently the first an owner knows of their cat's hyperten-sion is when their pet develops sudden blindness. This is due to either detachment of the retinas or haemorrhage from the delicate blood vessels in the eye. Unfortunately, the blindness is often irreversible.
  • Kidney damage - whether or not kidney disease is the cause of the hypertension, the small blood vessels within this organ are very delicate and kidney failure can ensue.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

If underlying disease such as hyperthyroidism is present, we can treat this, and doing so on its own can reduce the blood pressure.

However, we often need to give medications - one of which is used regularly in human medicine.

Daily dosing and monitoring of blood pressure at your vets are essential to ensure that the condition is under control.

Many owners note how much more happy and lively their cat is, once the hypertension is controlled.

In summary, high blood pressure is a serious condition, affecting mainly older cats. Identifying underlying disease and regular monitoring are extremely important. But treatment is often very successful and rewarding.