Finding out that your cat has kidney disease can be difficult for a pet parent. While kidney disease is ultimately fatal, that doesn't mean that your cat can't live a pleasant and comfortable life for the immediate future. However, it's important to take extra steps to help support this kind of lifestyle when a cat is coping with kidney disease. Here's why getting your cat's blood pressure checked regularly should be one of your steps.

Overall Arterial Health

Maintaining healthy blood pressure is important for people and animals alike. This is one of the reasons why it's important to measure a cat's blood pressure. Keeping track of the numbers and determining if it's too high can help to keep your cat's entire cardiovascular system from being damaged by its effects.

If you're curious, the reason why cats with kidney disease are at a higher risk of high blood pressure is because of the damage being done to the kidneys. As the kidneys continue to function the best they can, they start to develop internal scar tissue. When this scar tissue partially obstructs the entrance and exit of the kidney, it forces blood pressure to rise for it to be processed by the kidneys. Unfortunately, there's no direct treatment for the scar tissue, but blood pressure can be controlled with medication.

Eyes

Another reason why you want to keep track of your cat's blood pressure here is because of their eyes. Cats with kidney disease often experience vision loss or outright blindness as a result of high blood pressure. The good news is that if the high blood pressure is caught early on, some of this damage can be prevented or reversed, which can often result in a cat regaining some of their lost vision. However, time is of the essence.

What to Expect 

Getting a cat's blood pressure checked is surprisingly easy. Their blood pressure is essentially taken the same way as a human's, with a blood pressure cuff. Keeping your cat completely still is a necessity, so you may either be asked to assist or may be escorted out of the room if multiple veterinary assistants are needed to care for your cat. However, rest assured in any case that your cat is not in any kind of pain, and the procedure will be over quickly.

With regular blood pressure monitoring, you can protect your cat from some of the worst symptoms of kidney disease. Contact local veterinary services to learn more.