| Could your dog have blood pressure problems | | | | heart or blood pressure levels. These conditions |
| High blood pressure is now recognised around the | | | | include things like: heart disease, kidney disease, |
| world as a major health issue. Many millions of people | | | | sudden onset of blindness, recent trauma, or other |
| every day take regular medication to control their | | | | severe illness. |
| blood pressure level. Others use diet, exercise, salt | | | | Rare causes of high blood pressure (or sometimes |
| restriction and more to try to get their blood | | | | low blood pressure) in dogs are endocrine system |
| pressure reading into the normal range. | | | | diseases, tumors of the adrenal gland, some pet |
| But what about pets? Does your dog have high | | | | medications and some brain or nerve troubles. |
| blood pressure? | | | | It's often easiest to check a dog's blood pressure |
| Vets are becoming increasingly aware of the problem | | | | when it is under anesthesia -perhaps for an operation |
| of hypertension in domestic pets - and dogs seem | | | | or for another investigation. |
| particularly affected by it. Some vets now make a | | | | We've not yet reached the point we have in humans |
| blood pressure check part of their normal routine | | | | but there's no doubt that blood pressure assessment |
| examination, although it can sometimes be hard to | | | | is becoming more and more important in pet animals. |
| work out what's normal or not in your own pet's | | | | Treatments are available and research trials are |
| case. | | | | underway to see if treatment improves the health of |
| Your vet will certainly check a blood pressure reading | | | | your pet. |
| if your dog has a condition which could affect the | | | | Time for a walk, maybe? |