Ceva Animal Health is urging veterinary nurses to review which of their elderly feline clients have missed out on routine health checks during the pandemic and may now have undiagnosed hypertension, putting them at risk of retinal damage, strokes and other organ damage.

Su Page MRCVS, Amodip Product Manager at CEVA, said: “If left untreated, hypertension can result in target organ damage (TOD), with ocular problems developing in at least 80% of hypertensive cases¹.

"Other major body systems that are commonly affected include the brain, heart and kidneys.

"Despite the potential for catastrophic sequelae such as retinopathy and blindness, owners may see very little in the way of warning signs.

"That means these patients are completely reliant on a veterinary recommendation for blood pressure monitoring.” 

Ceva says that ideally, all cats over nine should be screened regularly. But given the pressure the profession is currently working under, the priority is to address the needs of the most at risk cats, ie those with predisposing conditions such as kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. 

Su said: “There is a real danger that many of those cats will be close to crisis point right now and the sooner we can identify those that need help, the better a chance we have of extending their quality and quantity of life.”

Vet nurses looking to update their knowledge on feline hypertension, including the importance of regular screening, blood pressure monitoring techniques, and appropriate treatment options, can complete Ceva's free Feline Hypertension Ambassador CPD course at: https://veterinarywebinars.com/community/ceva/. 

Reference

1. Jepson et al 2007 Evaluation of the effects of control of systolic blood pressure on survival in cats with systemic hypertension JVIM 21 (3): 402-409

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