Get them back to living their best life
Get them back to living their best life
Could your cat be suffering from high blood pressure?
High blood pressure – could your cat be suffering?
High blood pressure – could your cat be suffering?
Cats suffer from many of the same health conditions that we do. One of these is high blood pressure – also known as hypertension. Simply put, this is where blood, circulating within blood vessels, is under excessive (higher than normal) pressure. Hypertension is very common in older cats, as it is in humans.
So, what are the signs? If your cat’s over 7 years old, look out for any change in their behaviour or personality. They may have stopped coming to find you. Or they may have started yowling in the night. Or they may just not be their happy self anymore.
The problem is most symptoms are invisible – which has led to hypertension being nicknamed ‘the silent killer’. Your cat may feel fatigued, or their vision may be impaired; they can even go blind as a result of the condition. But as an owner, you’d never know.
Hypertension is one of the most common conditions of older cats
1 in 5 cats 9 years and over have high blood pressure
82% of senior cats don’t receive routine blood pressure measurements.
Up to 80% of cats diagnosed with hypertension have pre-existing conditions.
Up to 80% of cats diagnosed with hypertension have pre-existing conditions.
Because there are often no obvious signs of high blood pressure until significant damage occurs, routine monitoring of the blood pressure of older cats is vitally important to their health and wellbeing.
All cats over 7 years old should have regular blood pressure checks.
If your cat is over 7 or has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or chronic kidney disease, speak to your vet to arrange a blood pressure test at the practice.
Don’t write it off as old age – old age isn’t a disease!
All cats over 7 years old should have regular blood pressure checks.
If your cat is over 7 or has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or chronic kidney disease, speak to your vet to arrange a blood pressure test at the practice.
Don’t write it off as old age – old age isn’t a disease!