Hypertension or high blood pressure can affect many older cats without causing obvious clinical signs. Any cat over the age of 7 may be affected. It is more common in cats who suffer from a pre-existing condition such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or diabetes, however it also occurs on its own as a primary condition.

If your cat has untreated high blood pressure there may be damage to the eyes, heart, kidneys, brain and nervous system. This can appear as sudden onset blindness, seizures or breathing problems for example. Problems such as these are preventable with early detection and management.

Screening for hypertension is simple and painless and blood pressure measurements are taken using a cuff just like in humans. Owners are welcome to stay with their cats while they are having their check and can often help the vet or nurse by holding them comfortably. A minimum of three readings are usually taken to find an average. If your cat gets particularly stressed during travel, we can arrange for them to stay for a morning to settle down prior to checking.

If the blood pressure reading is found to be high, medication can be started immediately. This is readily accepted by most cats and stabilisation is often achieved in the first few weeks after beginning treatment. Further checks to rule out a cause for the hypertension will be discussed with you and regular follow-ups arranged to make sure your cat is responding well to treatment.

If you would like to book your cat in for a blood pressure check, you can book online (make sure you choose the appointment type ‘blood pressure check’) or give us a call.

We understand that many pets get anxious when coming to the vets so please mention it when booking if you think this applies to yours. We can provide useful tips and anxiety reducing medication if needed to help make their visit as relaxing as possible.

The Larkmead team is pretty unique in that we have a lot of skills in-house that other vets may need to refer patients to specialist vets for. This usually means better prices and of course the familiarity and care from the Team at Larkmead, particularly for post-op follow up care.

Several of our vets have undergone post-graduate training in specific disciplines and we are fortunate to have clinicians who are RCVS Advanced Practitioners in both surgery and medicine. This means we can offer treatment for more complicated cases than many other practices.

Comprehensive investigations and treatment are possible for a range of conditions including cardiology, dentistry, internal medicine, emergency and critical care, neurology, oncology, soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery.

In order to provide this service, we continuously re-invest in modern diagnostic aids such as ultrasound scanners, endoscopes, X-ray machines and laboratory equipment to give you accurate rapid results. At Didcot we also have a purpose-built Orthopaedic suite.

Should patients need to stay with us for any period, we have separate dog and cat hospitalisation facilities at both our Didcot Park Road and Cholsey branches. Our own vets and nurses provide 24-hour care for any patient admitted to the practice.

Booking your pet in for surgery can feel worrying but we are happy to answer any questions you may have and will explain what you will need to do before and after their procedure.

Should the vet recommend any procedure for your pet, please feel free to ask any questions (including an estimate of costs) – we want you to feel comfortable with what is going to happen and know that we are going to take good care of them whilst they are an in-patient with us.

Brachycephalic or ‘flat-faced’ dogs are popular family pets that include Pugs, English Bulldogs and French Bulldogs. If you or someone you know owns a brachycephalic dog, you may have heard talk of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) which refers to the group of conditions resulting from breathing difficulties caused by the short nose and narrow airways of these breeds. Research suggests more than 40% of English bulldogs, 50% of French Bulldogs and 60% of Pugs would benefit from surgery to help treat BOAS and widen their airways.

Short noses mean that the soft tissue that usually sits comfortably inside a dog’s nose and mouth, has to fit into a much smaller space. This results in very narrow airways inside the nose and an over-long soft palate (the roof of the mouth) which can obstruct the back of their throat and causes snoring and snorting sounds commonly heard in these dogs. Other signs of BOAS include difficulty breathing during exercise, poor tolerance to heat, retching/vomiting and sleeping with a toy in their mouth or with their head propped up.

If left untreated, over time, the narrow airways and breathing difficulties can result in secondary respiratory, digestive and heart diseases which further worsens the BOAS. This why early intervention is key to minimising the effects of BOAS and stopping disease progression. Some dogs may only need lifestyle changes to manage their BOAS, such as keeping slim and avoiding hot weather. However more severely affected dogs may require surgery to widen their airways and improve their ability to breathe.

The most accurate way of knowing which dogs would benefit from treatment is by doing a non-invasive respiratory function assessment in which a vet listens to a dog’s breathing sounds before and after an exercise tolerance test. We recommend that all brachycephalic breed dogs have an assessment starting from one year old as if needed, airway surgery can greatly improve their quality of life. The cost of an assessment is the same as a standard veterinary consultation and are free to Lifetime Care Club Gold Members, with 20% off for LCC Kite Members.

Booking an Exercise Tolerance Test is very easy – please give our Reception Team a call. You should allow half an hour for your visit as you will be asked to complete a short-survey upon arrival as well as the 20 minute test itself. Appointments are available at Cholsey, Didcot Park Road or Great Western Park.