Senior Cats Prone to Hypertension
December 19, 2008 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Pets
If you have a senior kitty, make sure his blood pressure is under control.
Your vet can check it with a small cuff placed on a leg or the base of the tail. Yes, that’s a very small cuff, isn’t it? Cute.
Of course, getting an accurate reading may be tricky as kitty will be nervous, so this procedure is better carried out at the beginning of the exam — before any needles arrive! When it’s all over, give your sweetie a treat.
Symptoms of Hypertension in Felines
Loss of balance
Seizures
Poor appetite
Lethargy
Disorientation
Dilated pupils
Bleeding eyes
(Source: Webvet)
Those things sound pretty yucky! But the symptoms can be more general, so if kitty is 10 or over, it’s a good idea to ask the vet to check bp anyway.
Why Controlling Feline Hypertension Is Important
Quality of life issues
Prevention of adverse effects on the eyes, heart, central nervous system and kidneys
Hypertension in cats may be treated with various drugs, so it’s not something whiskers has to put up with.
Do you have a senior cat with hypertension?
Image via flickr.
