Ceva Animal Health, maker of Amodip, has announced that it will be running Feline Hypertension Month in May to raise awareness of hypertension and improve the detection and management of high blood pressure in cats.

As part of the campaign, veterinary practices are being urged to measure their feline patients’ blood pressure from seven years of age and above, as recommended by ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine) 1

Ceva says it will also continue the Mercury Challenge, its study of feline blood pressure, throughout 2019 to help increase veterinary professionals' confidence in measuring blood pressure and identifying feline hypertension.

The company says that since June last year, 128 practices and over 1,000 cats have participated in the challenge. You can registered to take part at: mercurychallenge.ceva.com,  where there's a chance to win diagnostic tools to help diagnose feline hypertension.

Dr Rosanne Jepson, American, European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, said: "It is great to see that so many cats (over 1000!) and practices in the UK have been involved with the Mercury Challenge promoting the measurement of blood pressure and detection of hypertension.

"I would urge as many practices as possible to measure blood pressure; it’s simple, quick and easy to perform and means that we can help prevent target organ damage which at its most severe can leave cats sadly blind for the rest of their life. With careful identification and treatment this can so easily be prevented."

To help raise awareness of Feline Hypertension Month, Ceva has produced a range of marketing materials including waiting room displays, a pet owner leaflet and veterinary marketing packs, which are available upon request. 

The initiative will be supported with an extensive PR campaign aimed at pet owners, including a radio day starring CBBC’s Rory the Vet.

For more information, contact cevauk@ceva.com or visit mercurychallenge.ceva.com.

References

  1. Taylor et al., ISFM consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of hypertension, JFMS 2017 19(3): 288-303.
  2. Conroy et al., Survival after diagnosis of hypertension in cats attending primary care practice in the UK, JVIM, 2018 32(6): 1846-1855.

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vets.