Electronic blood pressure measuring devices are becoming the norm now mercury is being phased out because of its hazardous nature. A cuff that inflates is wrapped around your upper arm and kept in place with Velcro. A tube leads out of the cuff to a rubber bulb.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A typical normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg, or "120 over 80." The first number represents the pressure when the heart contracts and is called the systolic blood pressure. The second number represents the pressure when the heart relaxes and is called the diastolic blood pressure.

The goal of treatment for most patients is to lower the systolic blood pressure below 140 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg. In some patients, such as those with diabetes, it is recommended that blood pressure be lowered even further, to a systolic pressure below 130 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure below 85 mm Hg.

In the early stages of disease there are few, if any, signs of hypertension itself, but because hypertensionis commonly associated with an underlying disease you may notice signs of that disease in your pet.Appetite may be decreased in kidney failure, or may be increased in hyperthyroidism, and both conditions can cause weight loss, excessive drinking and vomiting.