You have to be aware of many things as a cat owner, such as the need to keep them wormed and free of fleas. Take pet courses online, and you’ll find out a lot more, such as the fact that felines can suffer from high blood pressure just like us. Ask most owners, and they’ll likely not be aware of it, but the issue is very real.
When left unchecked, elevated blood pressure can cause untold issues in your cat’s body, such as eyesight deterioration and problems with the kidneys, heart and nervous system. As pet care professionals will tell you, it’s normally only something that affects senior cats, but it can happen at any time, so it’s important to know what the symptoms look like.
Persistent Nose Bleeds:
The first sign that your cat might have high blood pressure is if they have frequent nose bleeds, which is notable in itself as it’s unusual. One isolated nosebleed is likely no cause for concern, but you should talk to your vet if it happens on multiple occasions. They’ll be able to tell you if it is high blood pressure (a.k.a. hypertension), injury or something else.
Disorientation & Clumsiness:
Another cause you’ll learn about in advanced animal care courses is disorientation, which is quite obvious in cats, as they’re normally so graceful. This can also be caused by worsening eyesight leading to high blood pressure - so you should be sure to keep a lookout for it happening to your cat.
Severe Fatigue & Withdrawn Nature:
Another way hypertension can manifest in cats is severe fatigue, mainly if caused by heart or kidney problems. As shown in good pet care courses, this can also be accompanied by shortness of breath - again representing something that should be pretty easy to spot in most felines.
When feeling like this, it’s not uncommon for your cat to be more withdrawn or even disappear from the house for hours at a time.
A Change In Personality or Demeanour:
If your cat starts behaving in a way that's not usual, it could point to an underlying problem. If high blood pressure is a concern but not yet acute, the symptoms we’ve discussed might not show immediately. So, look out for the little differences like refusing food, unusual aggressiveness or persistent meowing to guide you.
Let Online Training Boost Your Animal Care Knowledge
As an animal care professional or caring owner, you must understand issues like these and know how to respond when you spot them. What we've spoken about here is merely scratching the surface, but if you want to enhance your knowledge, the easiest and most stress-free and affordable way is via flexible pet care courses online with OCA.
Training like our Pet Care course is delivered 100% online, comes with one-on-one tutor support and is created with the help of leading experts in the veterinary world. If you want to know more about this or our full range of easily digested, CPD-approved video-based courses covering 20+ industries, just head to www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au and check us out.
Suppose you have browsed through our affordable, cheap short course library and have any questions. Call us today on 1300 611 404, and our friendly education support workers will be delighted to assist you in choosing a short course. It's time to ignite your passion and apply for your dream job with animals.
