Update On The Boys Blood Pressure

[TheFullHouse]

Well yesterday being the day that it was, I waited to post the results of Sammie and Pistols vet visit to have their blood pressure checked. Pistol who was stressed to high heaven has perfect blood pressure. I couldn't believe it, I expected it to be through the roof but no, his was perfect. That combined with his last urine tests which were perfectly normal, lets us know for now he is in perfect health.

Sammie who was laying on my lap, cool as a cucumber, no panting or showing any signs of stress had slightly high blood pressure. That combined with his last urine test, which was borderline, made the vet put him on some Enalpril and we are running another set or urine tests on him and Joey since Joey's blood pressure was so high.

We came home yesterday, collected urine from Joey and Sammie a couple of times during the day and Mike dropped them off this morning.

Well at 8:00 I got a call from the vet. Now it's pretty bad when not only the vet knows your dogs but the technicians know them by the tests they run. She thought the samples were from Bullitt and mixed them all together, so we will be collecting urine again today from Sammie and Joey and Mike will again drop them off tomorrow.

One thing she did tell me is that high blood pressure is usually secondary to some other disease process going on in the body. That I didn't know so I'm very glad I took the boys in. That makes 3 of my four siblings with high blood pressure. She looked at me and told me that they don't call it the silent killer for nothing.

We will be watching Pistol like a hawk and having his urine and blood pressure checked every few months so that if he does develop high blood pressure, we will catch it early.

[heartdogs]

I guess it's the same as with people, high blood pressure doesn't always give you signs until it's too high. Hope everyone is ok after they get the tests done, you've had enough problems lately.

[PattyE]

Judy, this is probably stupid, but how do they check their blood pressure? Is it like a person?

[MP_the4pack]

some hypertension is caused by other diseases but not all the time. Pearl's cardiologist spent 7 yrs looking for the cause of her not-quite-under-control hypertension. But in the end, it was idiopathic.

 

I did mention this to Dr. Couto at one time and he said that greyhounds do seem to have idiopathic hypertension.

 

But do keep an eye on it. I thought we were doing very well when one day during a walk Pearl's eyes were moving rapidly and she was swaggering. Lasted maybe 30 seconds. I thought vestibular, but decided to check with her cardiologist. Vet said come in now. Pearl's BP was 300. From that point on we did a BP check every 6 weeks.

 

However, in the end, I lost her to cancer.

[MaryJane]

Its good that you are right on top of this, do they settle down at the vet's office when they take the blood pressure?

 

Usually salt is kept at a minimum when a person has high blood pressure but, I don't know if there is a correlation with dogs. Although, most kibbles have a very high salt content which is one reason that I went to home-made food.

[TheFullHouse]

Judy, this is probably stupid, but how do they check their blood pressure? Is it like a person?

 

They have a ting BP cuff that goes around the back leg Patty. It's a little more complicated because they also have an electrode that goes on the back of their foot also. It takes a bit longer than getting a human's BP.

 

MaryJane, I learned with Bullitt if I take my crate pads from home and sit on the floor, they will lay down and settle down. I do it right when we get in the room so they are calm when the vet comes in the room.

[PattyE]

They have a ting BP cuff that goes around the back leg Patty. It's a little more complicated because they also have an electrode that goes on the back of their foot also. It takes a bit longer than getting a human's BP.

 

MaryJane, I learned with Bullitt if I take my crate pads from home and sit on the floor, they will lay down and settle down. I do it right when we get in the room so they are calm when the vet comes in the room.

Thanks, Judy.

[duncan41]

No dog could appear as cool as a cucumber more so than my Suze..............with blood pressure of 200, 220 & 240.

 

I was curious about the different descriptions of how/where to measure blood pressure, so I went to the Veterinary Partner site and asked:

 

In the section "How do we Measure Blood Pressure in Pets?,

should there be a reference of proper positioning of the pet and specific
site in order of preference? In other words, should the pet be standing,
sitting, laying down prone or fully reclined on its side? Is the preferred
site a front leg, back leg or tail?

 

And the answer was:

 

Actually none of those things are as important as one might think. Blood pressure is blood pressure so the only preference of one site over another is how easy the equipment being used will measure in that position or location and how stressed the patient is in a position. For example, in anesthesia, blood pressure is measured in back legs, front legs, tail base and anywhere that the probe works that is not in the way of the surgeon. In an awake patient, we don't want to alter blood pressure by over-restraining a frightened patient so holding on the side might not be best but in another patient, resting on its side might be the most comfortable way to go.

Many people find the front leg easier than the back leg, some clip a small section of hair for the probe while some patients are too upset by the clipper sound so that cannot be done. There just isn't any "best" position or site as it is all dependent on the operator and the patient.

Edited September 18, 2013 by duncan41

[dmswartzfager]

Out of curiosity, what were the readings?

[MandysMom]

I hope you can get the boys' blood pressure under control. It is truly scary what can happen without us knowing.

Edited September 18, 2013 by MandysMom

[TheFullHouse]

Out of curiosity, what were the readings?

Pistols was 120

Sammie's was 170, not extremely high like Bullit's which was 200 and Joey's which was 300, but given the borderline urine tests she decided to put him on just one med for now until we get the new test results back.

[tbhounds]

There are a few ways to run pressures. In our clinic we use various ways depending on the situation and the pet. I find the most accurate way is by using a Doppler. I believe that's what the op was describing. With that you only get a systolic reading. One thing that is important is you should not place the cuff on a weight baring limb-(while standing)-you will get false elevated readings.

 

To the op-are your checking for proteinuria?? If so, have you run a UPC??

[TheFullHouse]

Yes, UPC's on all the boys. Pistols was normal, Bullitt's is now within the normal range after being on his meds, Sammies was borderline last time and I've collected urine today to be tested and Joey's last test was in March and was normal then but he has since developed high blood pressure so I've collected several samples today which will be taken in tomorrow morning. Joey is taking the same meds as Bullitt now and his pressure has come down.

[tbhounds]

Yes, UPC's on all the boys. Pistols was normal, Bullitt's is now within the normal range after being on his meds, Sammies was borderline last time and I've collected urine today to be tested and Joey's last test was in March and was normal then but he has since developed high blood pressure so I've collected several samples today which will be taken in tomorrow morning. Joey is taking the same meds as Bullitt now and his pressure has come down.

Enalapril is greyt but, don't forget low dose aspirin in the hounds that have elevated upc's. The aspirin (1/4-1/2 of 81mg once daily) will help to prevent thrombosis. :-)

[TheFullHouse]

Bullitt get's 1/2 a low dose aspirin. If the new UPC tests come back elevated on Sammie and Joey we will add the aspirin to their daily medication. Right now Bullitt and Joey each get 1 10 mg. tablet of Amlodipine twice a day, 1 1/2 tablet of Spironolactone twice a day, 1 Enalapril twice a day and Add 1/2 a lose dose aspirine for Bullitt. Sammie just gets Enalapril twice a day for now, depending on the UPC results.

 

Bullitt is also eating k/d food. We'll see if I have to put the other two on it.

[tbhounds]

Bullitt get's 1/2 a low dose aspirin. If the new UPC tests come back elevated on Sammie and Joey we will add the aspirin to their daily medication. Right now Bullitt and Joey each get 1 10 mg. tablet of Amlodipine twice a day, 1 1/2 tablet of Spironolactone twice a day, 1 Enalapril twice a day and Add 1/2 a lose dose aspirine for Bullitt. Sammie just gets Enalapril twice a day for now, depending on the UPC results.

Bullitt is also eating k/d food. We'll see if I have to put the other two on it.

;-) !

[TheFullHouse]

UPC results back on both boys and they were both within normal limits! They will stay on their meds and we will recheck in 6 months. This news just made my day!

[tbhounds]

Wondeful!!

[galgrey]

Great news, Judy!