High blood pressure in cats
Hypertension is classified as a disease of cats, a condition in which a cat's blood pressure rises above normal and safe levels, especially with its age. It is generally believed that it suffers from this disease when systolic blood pressure exceeds 150 mm Hg. During this article, Animal Care Tr will display all about high blood pressure in cats, its causes, symptoms, and treatment.
High blood pressure in cats :
- Causes of high blood pressure in cats
- Symptoms of high blood pressure in cats
- How is high blood pressure diagnosed in cats?
- Treating high blood pressure in cats
1- Causes of high blood pressure in cats
The causes of this disease in cats are:
- Hyperthyroidism is a disorder characterized by an overproduction of thyroid hormone and a subsequent increase in the metabolic rate. Many organs are affected by this problem, which stimulates the heart to pump faster and more forcefully, and eventually enlarges to meet these increased needs for blood flow. That condition is thyroid cardiomyopathy.
- Kidney failure. As cats age, their kidneys undergo normal aging changes, including the slow buildup of scar tissue, causing them to shrink in size.
- Some heart diseases, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, occur when the heart muscle thickens, the volume of blood inside the heart chambers decreases, and the pressure increases, as the amount of blood decreases with each heartbeat, which increases the demand for blood flow and causes blood pressure to try to meet the demand.
- Stress.
- Cat weight gain.
- Aging progression.
2- Symptoms of high blood pressure in cats
The most common symptoms of this disease in cats are:
- Blindness, as high blood pressure in the eye causes the retina to detach, and then the condition develops to collide with objects in its path.
- Increase water intake.
- Increased urination.
- Vomiting;
- Weight loss.
- Nose bleeding.
- Fainting spells
- Breathing difficulties.
- Unexplained changes in behavior, such as howling and meowing.
- Large lumps appear in the litter box.
3- How to diagnose high blood pressure in cats
Measure the cat's blood pressure by placing a strap on the tail or leg, and taking a measurement:
- The pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts or beats and pumps blood.
- Systolic pressure.
- Diastolic pressure is when the heart rests between beats and fills with blood.
Veterinarians also recommend a complete blood test, urinalysis, and evaluation of the thyroid hormone level.
4- Treating high blood pressure in cats
Studies are still underway to determine the safest and most reliable medications to treat high blood pressure, and one of the most commonly used drugs is:
- Amlodipine.
- The ACE inhibitor class of the drugs benazepril and enalapril.
Less common medications are beta-blockers such as atenolol and propranolol or a diuretic called spironolactone.
The underlying disease is treated directly, and your vet will advise the best treatment options for your cat according to its specific needs.
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