Blood pressure assessment should be an integral part of a senior cat’s healthcare. Despite this, many veterinary teams struggle with this procedure. The time required to assess blood pressure in a cat may not be practical in the appointment setting, the cat may not be cooperative, and the team may not be comfortable with the equipment available. Once obtained, understanding collected readings can be challenging at best.
This session will review the causes and consequences of hypertension in the feline species. Cat Friendly tips will provide the resources necessary to consistently collect and accurately interpret blood pressure readings in the cat. Current management options for feline hypertension will be examined and discussed.
Learning Objectives
- Review the causes of feline hypertension and their impact on the body
- Identify appropriate candidates for blood pressure monitoring and screening
- Learn how to establish standards of care for blood pressure monitoring in your practice: from scientific equipment to setting practice guidelines
- Understand and learn the importance of Cat Friendly blood pressure assessment
- Develop the knowledge needed to diagnose and successfully manage feline hypertension
Speaker Bio
Kelly St. Denis, MSc, DVM, DABVP (Feline)
Dr. St. Denis is currently a full-time clinician at the Charing Cross Cat Clinic in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics, and a Master of Science in Immunology. In 1999, she completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the Ontario Veterinary College.
In 2013, Dr. St. Denis became certified with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in the specialty of feline practice. She is an online consultant for the feline medicine boards on the Veterinary Information Network and President Elect 2019 for the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Dr. St. Denis is proudly one of the 6 Canadian feline specialist members of Cat Healthy Canada.
RACE Credits
This program 249-36856 is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 1.00 CE Credits (1.00 max) being available to any one veterinarian: and/or 1.00 Veterinary Technician CE Credits (1.00 max). This RACE approval is for the subject matter categorie(s) of: Scientific using the delivery method(s) of: Interactive-Distance. This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board’s CE requirements.