Hypertension in cats is more common as cats live longer
High blood pressure, or hypertension, in cats is similar to high pressure in humans. It often occurs as cats age. High blood pressure can be caused for no known reason in felines, or it can be a symptom of another disease such as hyperthyroidism or kidney failure. While your veterinarian will prescribe a medication to treat your cat's hypertension, natural remedies can help.
Diet
Your veterinarian may recommend you feed your cat a low-salt diet. This may exclude most treats, which tend to be high in salt. It's also important, from a homeopathic standpoint, that your feed your cat a high-quality, all-natural food that is free of preservatives and dyes. Most homeopathic practitioners would recommend organic foods and some would provide the pet guardian with specific recipes, matched to their pet's condition, to be prepared at home. Homemade diets for cats with high blood pressure are, of course, low in salt. They might include liver, beef, chicken, pork and/or eggs, along with rice and various supplement.
Exercise
It's important to keep your pet from becoming overweight. Extra pounds tend to exacerbate high blood pressure. Getting your cat to exercise may require interaction with you. Laser pointers are popular cat toys and most felines enjoy chasing the darting light. Feather toys on strings also may get your cat to move around if you dangle them in the air above him.
Environment
Keep stress levels as low as possible for your cat. Avoid bringing in new pets. Don't rearrange furniture or move the litter box. All of these can cause stress in cats and stress can cause an increase in blood pressure.
Astragalus
Astragalus is an herb safe for use in cats and thought to contain properties that may assist in lowering blood pressure. Astragalus also supports your pet's immune system and is said to make other treatments work more effectively.
If you do consider using an herbal solution as part of your treatment, be sure to discuss it with your cat's veterinarian. Herbs could interfere or react with some other types of treatments. It's also best to consult with a homeopathic practitioner to ensure that you're giving the correct dosages and administering the right formulation of the herb.
Acupuncture
The ancient Chinese treatment of acupuncture is being used more and more often on pets. Acupuncture involves the insertion of small needles at certain energy paths within the body. While acupuncture is used as part of treatment for many conditions, it is said to also be effective in treating hypertension in cats and dogs.
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