Systemic hypertension is a sustained rise in systolic blood pressure (SBP) that is high enough to injure the eyes, kidneys, brain and heart. In dogs it is nearly always secondary to another disease, most often kidney or adrenal disease, so finding a high reading starts a search for the cause. The NAVLE expects you to measure blood pressure properly, classify it with the 2018 ACVIM consensus, recognise target organ damage and choose the right first drug for a dog, which is not the same as for a cat.
Key facts
Systemic hypertension at a glance- Species and system: dogs (and cats, with different first-line treatment); cardiovascular system, with damage to eye, kidney, brain and heart.
- Definition: classified on SBP alone: under 140 mm Hg normotensive, 140 to 159 prehypertensive, 160 to 179 hypertensive, 180 or more severely hypertensive.
- Cause: secondary in at least 80% of cases (chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, pheochromocytoma, some drugs). Hypertension with no detectable cause is called idiopathic.
- Classic presentation: older dog with PU/PD and sudden blindness from retinal detachment or hemorrhage; SBP well above 180 mm Hg.
- First drug in dogs: an ACE inhibitor (benazepril or enalapril), or an ARB (telmisartan); add amlodipine from the start if SBP is above 200 mm Hg.
- Zoonotic or reportable: neither.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention and control
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 2 figures, 3 self-test questions and 8 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.