Signs of high blood pressure in dogs

Did you know that high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension, can be a problem for our canine companions as well? And just like in humans, it can sadly have some potentially serious health consequences.

If you feel that you don’t know enough about problematic blood pressures in dogs, read on, because we’ve compiled a cool, calm and collected guide to canine hypertension; what causes it, common symptoms to watch for, and when it’s a good idea to get your dog’s blood pressure checked.

Understanding high blood pressure in dogs

Blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure that is exerted against the walls of arteries by the blood that fills them. The maximum pressure (known as the systolic blood pressure) occurs when the heart contracts to pump out blood through the body. The minimum pressure (known as the diastolic blood pressure) occurs when the heart relaxes to refill with blood.

Just like us, pets may experience a transient increase in blood pressure due to stress. Therefore, it’s important that blood pressure is checked with the dog feeling as calm as possible, and that the measurement is performed several times and then averaged to get the most accurate result.

High blood pressure in a dog is diagnosed when there is:

• A sustained elevation in systolic pressure ≥150mmHg, and/or
• A sustained elevation in diastolic pressure of ≥90mmHg

Interestingly, sighthounds such as greyhounds can have naturally higher blood pressure as a normal variation!

Common signs and symptoms

Unfortunately, hypertension in dogs can be a silent, slowly progressive condition, in that it may cause no obvious symptoms for a while and then the dog may suddenly show signs of damage to certain organs which are particularly affected by abnormal elevations in blood pressure – this is known as target organ damage.

Target organ damage largely affects the brain, eyes, kidneys and heart, so dogs can develop symptoms including:

Neurological abnormalities

• Vestibular symptoms (where the dog’s internal balance systems lose normal function), e.g. a head tilt, wobbliness, circling or falling in one direction, or repetitive flicking movements of the eyes
• Confusion, disorientation or depression
• Weakness or paralysis

Eye damage

• Bleeding within the eye
• Abnormally dilated (large) pupils
• Sudden blindness

Kidney damage:

• Increasing drinking and urination
• Unexplained weight loss
• Microscopic levels of blood and/or protein in the urine (i.e. not visible to the naked eye)

This also includes heart damage, which may cause heart murmurs or arrhythmias. Dogs with high blood pressure may also develop spontaneous nosebleeds.

Causes and risk factors

Hypertension is more common in older dogs, and most commonly develops secondary to another health issue, such as chronic kidney disease, Cushing’s Disease, or diabetes – this is known as secondary hypertension.

However, younger dogs may also develop high blood pressure if they develop significant kidney infections such as leptospirosis.

If a dog with persistently high blood pressure has no obvious underlying trigger, then it is diagnosed as primary hypertension. This is believed to be the case in about 20% of canine hypertension cases.

Monitoring and managing your dog’s blood pressure

While these worrying symptoms may have your blood pressure increasing a little, rest assured that proactive blood pressure monitoring for your dog can help to detect this condition before significant issues occur.

It’s recommended to have your dog’s blood pressure checked:

• At least every 12 months for healthy dogs 8 years of age and older, as part of a general health check
• Immediately in any dog who has been diagnosed with a known risk factor for hypertension (such as chronic kidney disease, Cushing’s disease, or diabetes), and then at least every 3-6 months thereafter long-term

Hypertension in dogs can be treated with prescription medications (in addition to the management of any underlying health conditions).

When to see a vet

It’s always safest to have your canine bestie checked by a vet if there are any changes in their general activities such as:

• Reduced energy
• Reduced mobility
• Unexplained changes in appetite
• Unexplained changes in drinking
• Unexplained changes in their urine or poos

Of course, it’s strongly recommended to have your doggo checked ASAP if there are any obvious signs of unwellness, such as:

• Lethargy
• Weakness or collapse
• Agitation or pain
• Breathing difficulties
• Toileting difficulties
• Profuse or bloody vomiting or diarrhoea
• Something just seems off!

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11 Aug 2026