If your dog has been healthy up to this point, it can be a shock to get a diagnosis of hypertension. Veterinarians always customize the treatment of canine hypertension to meet the needs of the patient. In order to treat your dog successfully, a vet needs to consider all the potential causes of high blood pressure and complete a number of steps to reach a diagnosis.
What is Hypertension in Dogs?
PetMD indicates that hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Like human beings, dogs have both a systolic (the higher number) and a diastolic (the lower number) reading.
Hypertension occurs when your dog’s arterial blood pressure is repeatedly higher than what your vet considers normal. When it’s the result of another condition, it’s known as secondary hypertension. When the blood pressure elevation is actually the disease, it’s known as primary hypertension. High blood pressure can seriously affect various parts of your dog’s body, among them the heart, eyes, nervous system and kidneys.
Causes of Canine Hypertension
Experts so far are stumped as to the cause or causes of primary hypertension. Some believe it’s a genetic component passed on through breeding. Only 0.5 to 10 percent of dogs have this type of hypertension.
Around 80 percent of dogs suffering from high blood pressure have secondary hypertension. According to PetPlace.com, the most common causes are chronic kidney disease, endocrine disorders like Cushing’s disease or Conn’s disease and certain tumors of the adrenal gland. If your dog has this type of hypertension, it might also be caused by specific drugs or central nervous system disorders. Dogs who are predisposed to kidney disease are much more likely than average to develop hypertension.
Diagnosis of High Blood Pressure in Dogs
If your vet notes several elevated blood pressure readings from your pet pooch, repeated measurements will be necessary. Using an inflatable cuff on the dog’s paw or tail, the vet will need to keep the dog still to get accurate numbers.
Taking five to seven readings is normal since dogs can become easily excited or anxious, affecting their blood pressure numbers. Some dogs require hospitalization in order to get a sufficient number of measurements while they’re calm.
Veterinarians use these criteria for classifying canine blood pressure:
150/95: Risk is usually minimal. Most vets don’t recommend treatment.
159/99 to 159/95: Intervention is still not routinely recommended in this range.
160/119 to 179/100: These numbers indicate treatment is necessary to avoid organ damage.
180/120: The dog requires immediately treatment to limit severe complications.
Since hypertension in the majority of dogs is the result of underlying medical conditions, to make a diagnosis, your vet will need to perform a complete history and physical exam. This includes paying special attention to the dog’s eyes, nervous system, heart and kidneys.
Identifying the medical condition causing secondary hypertension isn’t always easy. It can require a number of blood tests to check endocrine function, X-rays and ultrasound studies of your pet’s abdominal organs.
Once the vet is satisfied with a sound diagnosis as to the cause of a dog’s hypertension, he or she will begin to customize a treatment plan. In addition to medication, for many dogs, it involves dietary changes and weight reduction.
Sources:
PetMD site
PetPlace.com site
Reference:
- PetMD site
- PetPlace.com site
