Here’s an actual video from a veterinary medical company designed to share with vet techs learning to take blood pressure. You can see the positioning of the large dog and some of the factors we mentioned. Below that is a veterinarian showing how to measure blood pressure on the dog in office. Note his professional equipment and calm dog, two extremely important factors in accuracy of measurement.

As for us, I will do home monitoring of vital signs, including the very important resting respiratory rate as part of Dexter’s mitral valve care. Further Reading Cerna P, Archontakis PE, Cheuk HO, Gunn-Moore DA. Comparison of Doppler ultrasonic and oscillometric devices (with or without proprietary optimisations) for non-invasive blood pressure measurement in conscious cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2021;23(2):121-130. doi:10.1177/1098612X20932407 Twenty‐five dogs were included among the eligible population, including 14 female (seven spayed, seven intact) and 11 intact male dogs, aging between 7 and 228 months old (72.9 ± 57.5) and weighting between 10 and 46kg (26.6 ± 8.4). Breeds included were mixed breed (four), Labrador Retriever (four), Golden Retriever (two), German Shepperd (two), Rottweiler (two), Beagle (two), other. Reasons for hospitalization (17) included soft tissue surgery (five), neurological pathologies (four), acute idiopathic gastroenteritis (three), orthopaedic surgery (two) and other pathologies requiring hospitalization (three). It is important to remember that a patient’s cardiovascular status can decline rapidly. Renal tissue perfusion diminishes when MAP declines below approximately 65 mm Hg. 4 In patients with sustained MAP < 65 mm Hg, the patient’s urine output should be monitored closely because decreased urine output can signify impaired renal perfusion. HYPERTENSION

Organ issues, including heart murmurs, congestive heart failure, and an overactive thyroid gland. A common side effect of these conditions is coughing and difficulty breathing.

The best things you can do for your pet’s overall health will also support healthy blood pressure. These include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, feeding your pet a proper diet, and developing a relationship with your veterinarian through routine healthy visits. When your veterinarian knows your dog, they can help you catch signs of illness before they become serious diseases.Replacing the standard Doppler device, the SunTech Vet20 takes just a matter of minutes to obtain results and requires no gel or shaving. Developed in conjunction with experts from leading veterinarian schools, the user-friendly touch screen makes this device simple to use and requires little to no training. In an effort to manage nervous animals, this monitor is extremely quiet, with the option to turn off alarms and audible indicators. Once your dog is comfortable wearing the cuff, find a quiet place to perform the reading, such as on their bed or in their crate. You want some place where they will be comfortable laying down on their side or belly for about 10 to 15 minutes without moving around. Incorrect blood pressure cuff size: This is one of the most common reasons for an inaccurate dog blood pressure reading. The cuff used for an Irish Wolfhound certainly differs from the size used for a Maltese. Studies have shown that using too small of a blood pressure cuff can cause a patient’s systolic blood pressure measurement to increase by 10 to 40 mmHg.