Just as with humans, cats can suffer from hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure. But unlike humans, cats don't get high blood pressure from smoking or from stressful time spent sitting in rush hour traffic. Feline hypertension is almost always associated with kidney failure or hyperthyroidism, an over-active thyroid.
-
Symptoms
-
Mostly occurring in older cats, feline hypertension usually has no signs that you can watch for; instead, symptoms of an underlying problem may be present. Oftentimes, your veterinarian can detect early warning signs during a routine examination by simply looking into your cat's eyes. It is not uncommon for the first sign to be the leaking of the blood vessels in the eye's inner lining. The symptoms of kidney failure, such as vomiting, weight loss or increased thirst, may also be present.
Effects
-
With bleeding inside the eye, sudden blindness can occur and, if not treated immediately, is often permanent. Ruptured vessels are not just limited to the eyes, as bleeding can also take place in your cat's brain. When this occurs, you may see your cat acting strangely by walking with an unstable gait, falling down or even having seizures. If your cat is lethargic, especially if overweight, the heart may have already been affected.
Diagnosis
-
Frequent wellness check-ups are the best way to diagnose feline high blood pressure. But trying to obtain a valid pressure reading from a nervous cat in the veterinarian's office may be difficult. As with most animals, a trip to see the doctor can be stressful and elevated blood pressure results may not be typical of your cat's actual condition. Leaving your cat at the doctor's office, allowing it to settle down prior to taking blood pressure readings may be required, or multiple visits may be needed to obtain a true picture of your pet's health.
A cat's blood pressure is obtained much like that in humans. A pressure cuff is attached to either a front paw or tail, and the systolic and diastolic readings are detected. This procedure is painless and is generally well accepted by the patient.
Treatment
-
If you are fortunate enough to detect blood pressure problems prior to any serious health issues, treatment is usually as simple as prescribing oral medications to control the hypertension. Be prepared to make several visits to the doctor to determine the correct dosage of medicine. In some cases, your cat may be placed on a special diet to aide in the treatment, all depending on how soon the underlying health problems were detected.
Prognosis
-
Advanced medical issues, such as kidney failure or thyroid problems pose serious health issues and will require a more aggressive treatment plan. For cats which have suffered sudden blindness, statistics show that about half can regain at least some sight. If your cat's hypertension is detected early, the prognosis is generally good and the odds are favorable your family pet will live a long and healthy life.
-