4 Mar 2022
Vets at Ceva Animal Health warn colleagues in practice that cessation of routine wellness checks during the pandemic has meant many cases going undiagnosed.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Vets at Ceva Animal Health are warning time could be running out for senior cats whose hypertension may have gone undiagnosed for two years because of the pandemic.
COVID-19 challenges, particularly initially, meant routine wellness checks being compromised and Ceva is concerned many cats may not have had a blood pressure check during that time.
The company wants vets to review case loads to assess if any senior cats may be at potential risk from retinal haemorrhage or strokes with hypertension.
Suzanne Page, vet and Amodip product manager at Ceva, said: “If left untreated, hypertension can result in target organ damage, with ocular problems developing in at least 80% of hypertensive cases.
“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.”
While ideally all cats aged nine or older should be screened on a regular basis, Dr Page said the priority at the moment was addressing the needs of the most at-risk cats – namely any with predisposing conditions such as kidney disease and hyperthyroidism.
She added: “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.”
Hypertension can affect one in five cats, and often diagnosis relies on blood pressure measurement. Ceva fears many cats will not have been presented to practice at all in the past two years, except for emergency care.
Ceva offers a free feline hypertension ambassador course, which is available online.
