29 Apr 2019
Veterinary surgeons are being urged to measure the blood pressure of all cats older than seven years old as part of Feline Hypertension Month, starting on 1 May.
Holly Kernot
Job Title
Veterinary professionals are urged to measure cats’ blood pressure this May when the second annual Feline Hypertension Month gets underway.
The Ceva Animal Health campaign aims to raise awareness of the condition, and improve the detection and management of high blood pressure in cats.
As such, veterinary professionals are being called on to measure their feline patients’ blood pressure, from seven years of age and older, as recommended by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM)¹.
Since June 2018, Ceva has thrown down the gauntlet to practices across the UK with its Mercury Challenge, which promotes the measurement of blood pressure and detection of hypertension.
To date, 128 practices and more than 1,000 cats have been involved in the challenge, and Ceva will be continuing to run it throughout this year.
Participating practices will be given the opportunity to win diagnostic tools to help them diagnose feline hypertension.
Rosanne Jepson – American, European and RCVS specialist in small animal internal medicine at the RVC – said: “It is great to see so many cats and practices in the UK have been involved with the Mercury Challenge.
“I would urge as many practices as possible to measure blood pressure; it’s simple, quick and easy to perform, and means we can help prevent target organ damage – which, at its most severe, can leave cats sadly blind for the rest of their life.
“With careful identification and treatment, this can so easily be prevented.”
To help raise awareness of Feline Hypertension Month, Ceva has produced a range of marketing material and veterinary marketing packs, which are available on request.
For more information on Feline Hypertension Month, the Mercury Challenge or feline hypertension, email [email protected] or visit the Mercury Challenge website.
1. Taylor et al (2017). ISFM consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of hypertension in cats, J Feline Med Surg 19(3): 288-303.
