Influence of environmental factors on the measurement of blood pressure in dogs

Abstract

Measuring blood pressure (BP) in dogs is an essential tool in the early diagnosis and monitoring of systemic arterial hypertension, a condition that can lead to damage to target organs such as the kidneys, heart, central nervous system and eyes. However, environmental factors, such as the location of the measurement, can significantly influence the values obtained, generating possible misdiagnoses, as occurs in the so-called “White Coat Syndrome”. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the environment (veterinary practice and home) on systolic blood pressure (SBP) values in healthy dogs and those with comorbidities such as heart disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and endocrinopathies (p<0.05). The study included 20 dogs of different breeds and sizes, assessed at two different times using the vascular Doppler method. Each animal underwent five measurements per environment, with the average of the last four being taken as the final value.The results showed that the systolic blood pressure (SBP) values obtained at home were, on average, significantly lower compared to those recorded at the veterinary clinic, with a statistically significant difference between the environments (p < 0.001). This reduction was more pronounced in dogs with renal and endocrine comorbidities, highlighting the greater sensitivity of these groups to environmental stress.It is concluded that the measurement environment has a significant influence on blood pressure values in dogs, reinforcing the importance of home measurement as a complementary tool in veterinary clinical practice, especially in the evaluation and monitoring of systemic arterial hypertension.