Hypertension (often referred to as high blood pressure) is a
medical condition that most humans have heard of. But did you know that cats over 7 years of
age are at a higher risk than many other pets?
In fact one in eight cats over the age of 9 are likely to be suffering
from what has been labelled “The silent killer”.
Hypertension makes the blood in the vessels circulate at
high pressure. This causes bleeding and damage to vital organs such as the
kidneys, heart, nervous system and the eyes. Symptoms often go unnoticed by
owners until the damage is done. Sudden blindness and kidney failure can be
some of the more obvious results of the condition so prevention is very much
better than cure in all cases.
Many cats presented to a veterinary surgeon with high blood
pressure have an underlying disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the most
common. This is followed by hyperthyroidism, a disease affecting the thyroid
gland.
Rosanne Jepson, a specialist in small animal internal
medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, said: “High blood pressure can cause
severe damage to key body organs” “Unfortunately, it is a condition that
develops without much warning for the cat owner; a cat may seem perfectly fine
until either the blood pressure is checked, or other organs are damaged.”
Recommendations for cat owners with mature cats:
1.As
advised by ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine), owners of cats over
7 years of age are being urged to get their cat’s blood pressure checked at
least once a year.
2. Ask your
vet about having your cat’s blood pressure monitored routinely.
3. If the
blood pressure is found to be high, there is treatment available. This will
reduce the blood pressure and prevent damage to those vital organs.
4.Often
your vet will advise that your cat has a full blood screening carried out too.
This is to rule out any underlying diseases already mentioned.
5.Close and
regular monitoring of your elderly cat is a sensible idea. Look out for other
common signs of disease. This includes: weight loss, poor coat condition,
changes in behaviour, appetite, thirst, urination, or general lethargy.
Caroline Clark is a consultant in animal behaviour counselling and you can find more information at www.peteducationandtraining.co.uk
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