Blood Pressure Monitoring
This is a non invasive , accurate method of checking a patients systolic arterial blood pressure. This diagnostic test is a quick and painless, performed in awake and anaesthetised animals.
A cuff is placed around the patients limb or tail, and a Doppler ultrasonic probe is positioned over a peripheral artery (usually the palmar artery in the foreleg or the plantar artery in the hindleg). The cuff is inflated until blood flow is occluded, and the Doppler signal disappears, then slowly the cuff is deflated. The pressure at which the blood flow sound returns corresponds to systolic blood pressure. It is important to gage the right sized cuff to get reliable readings. Patient positioning, averaging multiple readings and correct techniques are essential to improve accuracy and repeatability.
All our anaesthetised patients get their systolic blood pressure monitored. Depending on the reading we get, we are able to adjust the does of the anaesthetic drug agents and make changes to intravenous fluid rates, to ensure safe balanced anaesthesia.
We have a hand held blood pressure monitor that can be taken into the consults rooms. Pets are usually less stressed if mum or dad are present. We monitor blood pressures in pets with heart, kidney and hyperthyroid disease states. This allows us to accurately prescribe blood pressure medications at correct dosages.
All our blood pressure monitors are calibrated and serviced regularly and very well utilised.