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If your pet collapses or experiences respiratory distress, these are considered \u201cRED\u201d \u2013 or true emergencies \u2013 on our Fast Track Triage system. We advise you to seek immediate veterinary care. Please call ahead of your arrival so the veterinary team knows to expect you! <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Every time humans visit their doctors, their blood pressure is likely measured. The reason for such vigilance is that high blood pressure is a serious concern that causes many complications, and it is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths annually in the United States.<\/p>\n What about our pets? <\/span><\/span>Our pets can develop high blood pressure too (called <\/strong><\/span><\/span>\u201csystemic hypertension\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/strong>), and this hypertension affects<\/span> our pets\u2019 organs in a negative way<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span> Therefore, it<\/span> i<\/span>s important to check our pets<\/span>\u2019<\/span> blood pressure <\/span>periodically<\/span> and during every urgent care or emergency visit.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Humans usually experience \u201cprimary\u201d high blood pressure, meaning that there is no underlying <\/span>disease <\/span>that is <\/span>causing<\/span> hypertension<\/span>. However, in pets, primary hypertension is uncommon. There are many diseases that lead to <\/span><\/span>\u201csecondary\u201d high blood pressure <\/span><\/span>in our pets, <\/span>such as<\/span>:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many organs in the body suffer damage when exposed to high blood pressure, especially when <\/span>hypertension<\/span> is chronic.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In human medicine, h<\/span>igh blood pressure is often <\/span>called<\/span> \u201c<\/span>the <\/span>silent killer\u201d because many people with hypertension <\/span>are unaware<\/span> that their blood pressure is abnormal. <\/span>Similarly<\/span>, in pets, there are <\/span>very few<\/span> signals <\/span>to a pet owner <\/span>that <\/span>an animal\u2019s<\/span> blood pressure may be high<\/span>. <\/span>Loss of vision<\/span>\/blindness,<\/span> due to the retina detaching from the back of the eye<\/span>,<\/span> is one of the few symptoms <\/span>that is obvious <\/span>to pet owners, and clearly, we want to <\/span>identify<\/span> high blood pressure before <\/span>a pet\u2019s vision is compromised<\/span>. Therefore, <\/span><\/span>screening (especially <\/span>for<\/span> senior pets or <\/span>pets with the above conditions) is important.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Also please note<\/span><\/span>: a sudden decrease in movement or balance could <\/span>indicate<\/span> a stroke or brain hemorrhage, especially if the animal is <\/span>not in pain<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>Any acute neurologic abnormalities should be <\/span>promptly <\/span>evaluated by a veterinarian.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The most <\/span>commonly-used<\/span> device to measure blood pressure in animals is called a Doppler blood pressure monitor. Here is how your pet\u2019s veterinary clinic will measure your pet\u2019s blood pressure:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nWhy do pets develop high blood pressure?\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Why is high blood pressure dangerous?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHow <\/span>does my pet\u2019s veterinary team<\/span> determine<\/span> if <\/span>my<\/span> pet has high blood pressure?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
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