Feline Hypertension Causes

Acute blindness, burst blood vessels in the cat's eyes, detached retina and overall disorientation are symptoms of feline hypertension, or high blood pressure. Prompt treatment is essential and includes treatment of any underlying conditions, blood pressure medication and change of diet. Causes of feline hypertension vary but are most often due to other diseases or conditions your cay may be suffering from.

  1. Kidney Failure

    • Several types of feline kidney disease exist, including pyelonephritis (a kidney infection), kidney failure and chronic kidney failure (also known as chronic renal failure, or CRF). Any of these conditions may result in hypertension; however, kidney failure is the most common kidney-related cause of feline hypertension. If the cat's kidneys are not functioning properly, they are unable to efficiently filter blood. This raises your cat's blood pressure.

    Hyperthyroidism

    • This condition occurs when your cat has an overactive thyroid gland. The overactive thyroid produces an excessive amount of the hormone thyroxine, which triggers the heart to pump out an greater output of blood. The greater output of blood results in the elevation of your cat's blood pressure. Feline hyperthyroidism does not always result in feline hypertension. However, when accompanied by kidney disease, feline hyperthyroidism usually causes hypertension.

    Heart Disease

    • Heart disease is a leading factor in both humans and cats developing hypertension. Feline heart diseases include cardiomyopathy (any of a number of diseases that affect the way the heart works), arrhythmia (abnormal beating of the heart) and heart murmurs (abnormal blood flow in the heart). These conditions affect the way the heart pumps out blood, which occasionally result in elevated blood pressure in the feline body.