High blood pressure in cats

High blood pressure or ´Hypertension´ is a common problem in older cats, which you would never think due to all the sleeping and resting they tend to do!

High blood pressure is a ´silent disease´, in that it often has no symptoms at all. Cats with high blood pressure are rarely unwell or show any symptoms at all. However, one of the most common signs of high blood pressure is a sudden blindness, which is caused by retinal detachment. The tiny blood vessels behind the retina at the back of the eye become very swollen when the blood pressure is high and will eventually push the retina away from the back of the eye, causing the cat to become blind. However, this is often reversible with treatment. Some older cats will have heart murmurs, which are generally picked up by the vet at a check up, or for some other problem. While not all cats with high blood pressure will have murmurs, a high proportion of cats with murmurs will have high blood pressure.

It is very easy for your vet to check your cats blood pressure. It is done in much the same way as it is in humans; with a cuff on the arm (foreleg) and listening for the pulse at the wrist. It requires no sedation nor is it stressful for the cat. The whole thing is over in a few minutes and the answer is instant, although most vets will advise having the cat in as a day patient to allow them to settle before the blood pressure is taken. Also, it is not an expensive test.

It is very important that high blood pressure is diagnosed and treated in cats. As well as blindness it can cause significant damage to the heart and to the kidneys. For this reason, if your cat does have hypertension your vet may chose to take some blood tests to look at the health of your cat in general.

High blood pressures are readily treated with daily tablets, which tend to be tiny as they are human medication so cats only require a half or a quarter of a tablet. It is a very valuable treatment which can reverse any blindness and protect the kidneys and the heart.

If your cat does have a heart murmur, they should have their blood pressure checked at least every 6 months. If you are at all concerned about your cat, just have a chat to your vets and book in for check, they will be happy to help you.