Checking our blood pressure is usually a routine associated with a routine medical checkup. But that's not the case with cats. High or low blood pressure can be a sign of a health problem that needs to be addressed. You can find out what the different parameters say about the health of our furry friend in the following lines.
Our pet's normal blood pressure should be between 120 and 130, but due to the stress of the veterinary examination, a range up to 160 is fine. However, if it's outside that range, it signals a problem.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure is especially common in older cats who have other health problems. In this case, high blood pressure usually goes hand in hand (or paw in paw?) with kidney failure or vision loss.
Low blood pressure
Low blood pressure is less common in cats. It occurs mainly with injury and subsequent blood loss.
What to do in both cases?
In order to be able to measure the cat's actual blood pressure value, it is better to do it without stress in a home environment. A blood pressure monitor can be bought online and the best thing to do is to place it on your furry friend's tail.
Symptoms of poor blood pressure
If you don't want to get a blood pressure monitor, that's okay. The watchful eye of any owner can tell if something is wrong even without one. Symptoms that indicate something is wrong are increased thirst and urination, lethargy, weakness or vision problems. If you suspect that your cat is not doing well, you certainly can't go wrong by visiting your vet.
