Normal blood pressure in dogs

I have already talked about the STUDY OF BLOOD PRESSURE IN DOGS in my previous post. Now here’s what the researchers have to say about the normal range of blood pressure in dogs. In the Royal Veterinarian College project a series of studies had been carried out with over 2000 dogs of different breeds, age and of both genders. After the long-term studies the researchers could determine the normal BP values for dogs and how various illnesses affects the dogs’ blood pressure values. Alike the other species the blood pressure values have four distinctive counts, which are:

1) Systolic value, which is the maximum value, and is associated with the contraction of the heart, i.e. heart systole.
2) Diastolic value, which is the minimum value, and is associated with the ralaxation of the heart, i.e. heart diastole.
3) The mean arterial pressure, which the average value
4) Pulse pressure, which is the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure value

According to the researchers the canine blood pressure trend is very much similar to that of humans with only certain differences. In human BP tends to rise with the maturity of age; a similar trend has been studied in dogs too throughout their lifespan! Certain noticeable facts regarding blood pressure of dogs are:

• Aged dogs tend to have higher BP than younger ones.
  
• Fatter dogs tend to have higher BP than thinner ones.
  
• Males have been noticed to have higher BP than female dogs with neutered dogs been intermediate.
  
• Dogs with certain ailments like hyper production of steroid in body (Cushing’s Disease) have been reported to have higher BP than those not suffering from such health disorders.
  
• While studying the blood pressure of dogs, a correlation between the dogs’ BP and the viscosity of the blood has been noticed. Alike humans, the dogs with lower blood pressure have less viscous blood and those with high BP have thicker blood.
  

Smaller dogs tend to have lower BP compared to larger and giants breeds.

Not to be forgotten, blood pressure of dogs also varies according to breeds of similar sizes. Breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Pyrenean Mountain Dogs have low blood pressure values a compared to many other breeds of same size group. For instance Sight Hounds have been reported to have comparatively high BP. Most significant determinant of blood pressure in dogs is the breed. It’s the breed mainly on the basis of which canine BP varies. Researchers have concluded that breeds with higher BP tend have a greater increase in BP year on year all through their lives.

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Canine Blood Pressure Measurement : Studies of Blood Pressure in Dogs

1991 was one most significant year for dog lovers… especially for veterinarians. Before this some of the clinical measurements for animals – especially for dog couldn’t be determined perfectly, since measuring veterinary blood pressure used to be quite difficult. It wasn’t until 1991, when the Royal Veterinary College had initiated a research project, that canine blood pressure measurement used to be almost an unread subject for vets. The Royal Veterinary College’s project aimed at the validation of a technique for measuring BP in companion animals – especially canines. The researchers also aimed at making sufficient measurements of canine BP to determine the normal range of blood pressure in dogs.

It’s not easy to measure canine blood pressure. Blood pressure in dogs can be measured directly by using a needle in an artery, where the needle is linked to a pressure transducer. There’s also an indirect approach of measuring blood pressure in dogs. Indirectly the dogs’ blood pressure can be measured by using a cuff as in the familiar sphygmomanometer. In fact direct measurement of BP in dogs is too stressful to carry out and shows the blood pressure in a particular artery of the dog, but not the BP of dog. Blood pressure in a particular artery means pressure created by blood in large blood vessel that carries the blood that’s pumped away from the heart. Direct method is hence an inappropriate approach to measure BP in dogs. Indirect method of measuring blood pressure in dogs by using cuff, manometer and stethoscope is again too complicated, although it’s quite simple for humans. The difference is, in case of humans the sound used to determine the blood flow (Korotkoff sounds) is clearly audible, while it cannot be heard in veterinary species. Thus for veterinary, unless the Korotkoff sounds is electronically amplified, the indirect method of measuring blood pressure in dogs is considered to be of a useless method.

The device used by the researchers of the Royal Veterinary College project for measuring dogs’ blood pressure indirectly was a Dinamap. It is a hi-tech instrument that operates automatically according to the inflation and deflation of the calf. The device has been engineered in a way that it also detects the pulsatile changes in pressure influenced by the blood flow just under the culf and then only the blood pressure of dogs is assessed correctly.

Now where to put the calf? There are a few places in the dog’s body where the calf can be put while determining BP in dogs. While most veterinarians put the calf on hind limbs and fore limbs, but the base of the tail is the appropriate place as it gives most reliable and precise reading of the blood pressure of dogs, according to researchers. Hence the right technique for measuring BP in dogs involves monitoring Dinamap readings in conjugation with a calf applied either on hind limbs or fore limbs or tail base… tail base preferred.

STRESS IN DOGS may be one major reason for hyper-tension in dogs. Also read out my posts on DOG CARE TIPS Anesthesia or sedation is not desirable when measuring canine blood pressure, because most forms of chemical restraint tend to have impact on the blood pressure in dogs as in any other species.

Stay tuned to read about more about blood pressure of dogs!

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