© Shreyn Irina | Bigstock
White-coat hypertension is now a well-known phenomenon in people. In response to the stress of being in the doctor’s office, some patients’ blood pressure rises higher than it normally does, so it is difficult for the physician to obtain an accurate reading. It turns out the same thing can happen to dogs.
One study of retired racing greyhounds adopted as pets found that their blood pressure was 24 points higher in a veterinary setting than when their families took their blood pressure at home. Other breeds have also been found susceptible to white coat hypertension — everything from Siberian huskies to Labs, golden retrievers, and German shepherds.
Vets need to be able to get accurate readings so they know if there’s something they need to treat, or at least look into. High blood pressure is related to problems in the eyes, heart, and other body tissues and organs. How can you help your pet stay calm in the exam room?
Keep calm yourself. Dogs often take their cues from their owners.
Ask your vet to let your dog adjust to the exam room for 5 to 10 minutes before he gets poked and prodded. It may not solve the whole problem, but it should help.
Make sure the doctor takes your dog’s blood pressure more than once during the visit. Repeated exposure to the procedure helps dogs feel more relaxed about it. “Some dogs, when you first take their blood pressure, it’s through the roof,” says Tufts emergency and critical care vet Elizabeth Rozanki, DVM. “Then you give them a few minutes, and they calm down.”
