# Hypotension in cats



## FEWill (Sep 2, 2009)

Hypotension in cats can last for long periods of time and cause no problems, or it can hit suddenly and be a life threatening situation. This condition can be caused by heat stroke, heart problems, and a loss of blood from some type of an injury, or very low body temperatures. It may also be caused by a blood infection, severe dehydration, or an allergic reaction.

If it becomes severe enough and causes your cat to go into shock, or if they go into shock and it causes hypotension, it has now become a life threatening situation for your cat.

What is hypotension?

Hypotension in your cat is low blood pressure and understanding their normal ranges of pressure is very helpful in understanding this potentially very dangerous condition. The normal systolic range, which means maximum, is between 110 and 160 mmHg. The term mmHg means milliliters of mercury, and the diastolic range, which is the minimum, ranges between 55 and 100 mmHg. Hypotension in cats is defined as your pets pressure measuring 90/55 or lower.

The blood pressure in your cat reveals the pressure within their vessels, and if this pressure becomes either extreme or very low, it can and often does lead to a significant illness or is a warning sign that your cat has a significant condition. In most cases, when your cats blood pressure is taken, it is to measure hypertension and not hypotension.

When your veterinarian takes your cats blood pressure, it is done to test the pressure of the blood against the walls of the blood vessels. This pressure determines how your cats heart is pumping, as well as the resistance to the flow of blood in the small arteries. It also helps to determine the elasticity of the walls in their main arteries, and how much blood is present as well as the thickness.

Your cat can have their blood pressure taken in two different ways; direct and indirect. If it is done directly, an indwelling catheter is placed in their artery and than is attached to a mechanical pressure transducer. This transducer than monitors their heart rate and respiratory rate, as well as oxygen tensions; and the indirect method is done much the same as with people, as an inflatable cuff is used.

When taking your cats blood pressure this way, your veterinarian will clip a small amount of hair away from the underside of their paw of either the front or back leg closet to the arterial pulse. They will then place a conductive gel on that spot as well as a sensor. Your cats leg is too small for a stethoscope, and because of this, a blood pressure cuff is used to help in amplifying the sound.

Causes:

Hypotension in cats has several potential causes and while the exact cause may never be determined, the type of low blood pressure helps in identifying the cause. There will be two different types of low blood pressure that may affect your cat; extended or sudden.

One of the most common causes for extended hypotension is pregnancy as well as hormonal problems. Hormonal problems can include an underactive thyroid, which is known as hypothyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, which is called hyperthyroidism. It may also be the result of diabetes, especially in older cats, or low blood sugar, which is called hypoglycemia.

If your cat is on high blood pressure medication and they are given more than the recommended amount, it will cause their pressure to drop significantly below the safe zone. Heart failure or abnormal heart rhythms may also be the causes, as well as a liver disease. However, what is not well known is that heat exhaustion over a period of time will also gradually drop your cat blood pressure.

Hypotension in your cat over an extended period of time can be a dangerous situation, but not anywhere near as dangerous as a sudden drop in blood pressure. A sudden drop is a sign that something is terribly wrong with your cat.

There are several potential causes for a sudden drop, but the most common are from bleeding or dehydration. If your cat has excessive bleeding, either externally or internally, their pressure will drop dramatically.

Dehydration in your cat causes several potential health problems, but none more serious than a sudden drop in blood pressure. Water is critical in keeping the blood flowing as well as pumping properly in your cat. If your cats body temperature becomes very low as a result of an accident in a pool or river, or if they are exposed to a heat stroke, their pressure will drop like a rock.

Heart muscle problem, or Sepsis, which is a severe blood infection, may also be the cause.

But there is one other cause, and that is from what is called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can range form mild to severe, and can be life threatening as it is an allergic reaction of some type. When this occurs, your cats blood pressure will drop significantly and show the first set of symptoms.

Symptoms:

Hypotension in cats will show you an array of symptoms, but if it is caused by anaphylaxis, which is believed to be one of the major causes, the symptoms will be very clear and distinctive. Your cat will become very weak and wobbly and may not be able to keep their balance.

They may also develop hives, a very sudden and severe itching, and as a result have difficult time breathing as a result of a swollen tongue or throat.

If the underlying cause has developed over time, the following symptoms will graduate in severity; if the drop in blood pressure is rapid, they will show up immediately.

These symptoms include your cat becoming dizzy, light headed, and their vision will become blurred. If this happens, they may also start to run into objects. But the most chilling symptom will be one that at first may be hard to see, and that is a paling of their skin.

With this condition, you will see an almost bluish tint to their gums and lips, and they will very cold when you touch them as they are going into shock. Their pulse will become very weak as well as very rapid, and they will also start to breathe rapidly.

Summary:

Hypotension in cats in not nearly as well known as hypertension, but it is much more dangerous as it can cause shock very rapidly in your cat. Once shock occurs, you have very little time to seek emergency medical treatment.

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## Jo A (May 27, 2016)

My cat was diagnosed with high blood pressure severe, whilst I was on holiday a dubious cat sitter could have caused this (cat may have fallen down the stairs from weakness, cat sitter not calling in every day as arranged and water running out causing dehydration?) She took my cat to vets they gave her drugs to lower blood pressure, antibiotics for urine infection (generally caused by dehydration) pain killers and constipation liquid. She apparently improved butt he day I got home,week later, the cat sitter was there with my cat in her arms almost dead. I immediately took her off ALL THE DRUGS she has now almost fully recovered, I suggest overload of drugs. Maybe a possible bad reaction to drugs, overdose, I will never know the real reason.

Six weeks on her urine infection has cleared without drugs, I have yet to take her to have check her blood pressure checked - I will never know exactly what happened but vets in my opinion (not all I hope) love to give DRUGS and more DRUGS they are so convinced they work and nothing will convince them to the contrary even though the above is solid evidence that my cat recovered because I took her off the drugs.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

What are you hoping to gain from this post?


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

carly87 said:


> What are you hoping to gain from this post?


Don't treat your cat if they have a medical condition?

I'm not really sure if the cat was taken to the vet when nearly dead, or just treated at home somehow.


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## QOTN (Jan 3, 2014)

I am very glad to hear that your cat has recovered but I am not sure you can say you have 'solid evidence' that taking her off the drugs was the cause.

If she had all the symptoms you describe, surely it could be the drugs she was given that ensured she recovered. I can think of at least one reason why she was 'almost dead' when you returned home. Perhaps, as you say, your unreliable cat sitter could have given her too high a dose of pain killer. That could have made her seem drowsy or even spaced out while the other drugs she was given did their work to make her better.

If 'nothing will convince you to the contrary,' anything we post here is only for the benefit of others also reading this thread.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Jo A said:


> the above is solid evidence that my cat recovered because I took her off the drugs.


No not really. Your post actually doesn't prove anything at all. In fact it is not helpful to anyone.
If I got home to such a sick cat the first thing I would do is take it to the vet myself to get a clear picture of exactly what is wrong and what/why meds were prescribed.
You didn't do that did you?
So the cat sitter..... the cat was taken to the vet because it was ill - what else would you expect? It's possible he/she gave the meds incorrectly but you don't know that for sure. Perhaps the poor sod was very upset. Who knows because you don't say.

I would repeat Carly's question. What do you hope to gain from this post? To join a forum just to state the only clear message in your post which is "vets in my opinion (not all I hope) love to give DRUGS and more DRUGS they are so convinced they work and nothing will convince them to the contrary". Why not speak to your vet, hey! That's an option huh?!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It could be that all your cat's health issues were stress-related conditions caused by separation anxiety or loneliness, due to you being away and leaving her with a sitter. 

The fact that all the issues apparently resolved themselves without drugs once you were back home with your cat could well be proof of this theory.


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## Jo A (May 27, 2016)

Well thank you for all the replies wow firstly -
Yes to the person chillminx(best reply) who stated maybe my cat was sad without me yes one possibility and absolutely possible my dubious cat sitter overdosed my cat. The main reason for this post albeit very emotional issue and possibly why I did not explain exactly why I posted this IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE FAR TOO MANY DRUGS are given by vets - the evidence I meant was the fact I took her off all the drugs and she recovered. So obvious that the drugs were not necessary otherwise she would not have recovered. Yes she is going back to local vets to be check her over. We all know about the overdosing of antibiotics in humans. I rest my case thank you Chillmix for your wise and sensible reply. In my case the vet may well have been puzzled as not knowing my cats history and what the cat sitter actually did (possibly did not call round often - not long enough - verified by my neighbour) My dear cat may have been severely dehydrated, so would recover after plenty of water, care and affection Yes vets are necessary and hopefully the majority are very good however, I still believe that they use more drugs and should probably use more common sense instead.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Funny how you only like @chillminx reply because she doesn't disagree with you 
I still do not believe your cat recovered purely because you took it off the meds. It is much more likely she recovered because she had the drugs in the first place.


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## Jo A (May 27, 2016)

Well I know it is very difficult to believe she (may have been overdosed by cat sitter I will never know), she was almost dying and then she recovered - the drugs may not have been necessary in the first place more than likely . I took her off all the drugs and she recovered it is not rocket science, but as I said she may well have not needed them in the first place the cat sitter may have told the vets a load of ***********. Cats protection said she (the cat sitter was good) So very confused as to what did happen would of course not use that woman again and well probably never use another cat sitter again.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

Jo A said:


> Well I know it is very difficult to believe she (may have been overdosed by cat sitter I will never know), she was almost dying and then she recovered - the drugs may not have been necessary in the first place more than likely .* I took her off all the drugs and she recovered it is not rocket science, but as I said she may well have not needed them in the first place* the cat sitter may have told the vets a load of ***********. Cats protection said she (the cat sitter was good) So very confused as to what did happen would of course not use that woman again and well probably never use another cat sitter again.


Yes but you haven't even spoken to your vet yet and do not know the full situation. Vets do not prescribe medication if it is not needed. You are insulting a whole profession here.
I would be very concerned if a member of this forum took your advice literally and chose not to take their cat to a vet when it was ill. 
Think of the bigger picture.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

_We all know about the overdosing of antibiotics in humans._

The failure of a great many humans to finish the course is a source of a lot of antibiotic resistance.


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## Sh N (Dec 2, 2015)

OrientalSlave said:


> The failure of a great many humans to finish the course is a source of a lot of antibiotic resistance.


This, this. Also because in certain countries, they are prescribed for every small ailment (even viral, though they have no effect on viruses) and people discontinue the drugs because they feel better. Thus, a new generation of superbugs are born.

Now, if your doctor/ vet prescribes drugs A, B, C and D, you are within your right to ask why they are prescribing, and what it will do to your animal and what will be the positives and negatives not medicating. You are completely within your rights to ask and question.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@moggie14 - to clarify - I felt perhaps the fact the cat recovered speedily when the drugs were withdrawn by the owner might have been a coincidence, as I believe there could be a correlation between the cat's illness and the owner being away. i.e. the cat might have been suffering stress from separation anxiety. So if the drugs were maybe not responsible for making the cat ill, but the absence of the owner was the cause, then it may account for why the cat recovered so rapidly when owner returned home.

For me, every time I go into hospital my BP soars and remains high as long as I am an in-patient, (due to stress because I loathe being in hospital), and as soon as I am discharged home BP drops right back down to its normal healthy low level.


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## moggie14 (Sep 11, 2013)

No need to clarify hun - you have a very good point


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## AlexD (Sep 5, 2016)

Hi, new to this forum.

Just wondering if anybody has any advice regarding blood pressure in cats.

My cat Reg (23 years old) lost his sight so I put him on blood pressure tablets (one quarter of a tablet of istin a day)and he then regained his vision. Fast forward 8 months and he started having vision problems at night bumping into stuff but hes mainly okay during the day. I upped his dosage to one quarter twice a day with meals to try to counter act this and reduce his stress. I did previously speak to a vet who stated this would be possible.

I then took him to the vets today to have a blood pressure test to see if his blood pressure wasn't going too low with him having two tablets. The vet said it was okay. Got him back and this evening he is breathing heavily. He has never done this before and is usually fine after a visit to the vets.

So I guess I am wondering if I should go back to the one tablet irrespective of his night time vision problems and if the extra tablet is causing him breathing problems? I am also not really sure if the extra tablet is making any difference to his sight anyway.
thanks


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## Jo A (May 27, 2016)

My cat was diagnosed with blood pressure - I decided to try an alternative method no cat food only food prescribed by vets for older cats (as she does have an underlying kidney condition she is almost 20 years old) which is one possible reason I am informed for her high blood pressure. I walk her daily as she is blind and needs my help - she eats well and her weight is stable - so in my cat s case, good appropriate food, fresh air and exercise she is getting better each day. Just for the record it works for my cat, obviously I am just stating the facts in my particular case.


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## AlexD (Sep 5, 2016)

jo A, I assume you have tried Istin tablets so your cat might be able to get some vision back? Its only the blood pressure tablets that allow my cat to see, reattaching the retinas so he is not stressed and can see at least a little.

I give my cat Renal cat food for his kidneys. He loves it as its easy to digest. He is still breathing slightly fast but the vet thinks it may be an infection or just because of his age.


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