Veterinary/Animal use Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor for cat/Dog,One-Year Warranty (1 Cuff)

You can get consistent readings with this cuff & BP machine on many cats, but it takes some effort. It's not really the cuff's or machine's fault - cats just aren't as cooperative as we'd like. Make sure you have the correct cuff size. The 6-11 cm cuff that came with the machine should work on most cats' back paw, unless the cat is pretty small. First, acclimate the cat to the cuff & the pressure it creates. I found I got the best readings on the back leg, where it's flat, just behind the pad of the foot. For the first few days to a week, just put the cuff on the foot, and let the cat get used to it. Just keep doing readings, so the cuff inflates and deflates, and also, the cat gets acclimated to the noise and (fairly quiet) beeps the machine makes. It works best to acclimate the cat or try to get BP readings when the cat is sleeping - a sunny window helps my cat get extra sleepy. To get consistent readings, you want the cuff fairly tight around the paw - not super tight, but if it's too loose, you won't get consistent readings (or may not get a reading at all). When you put the cuff on the cat's foot, put it so the tube is point toward the toes, and is on the bottom of the foot (that's where my cat seems to have the strongest pulse). The front edge of the cuff should be right behind the big pad on the foot, no more than about 1/2 cm away. Ideally, you want the cuff at about the heart level, so the cat should be lying down on its side (voluntarily, not forced; very sleepy is best), with the cuff on the foot that's on the top. Start taking BP readings. Until the cat acclimates to the cuff, it's probably going to bother the cat (but the sleepier the cat is, the less it may be bothered). I had read that you should throw out the first reading, and then average about 6 additional readings. What I found in practice is that that may still give a high reading (by 10-40 points). I've found that when I keep taking readings, over and over (40 or more readings), at least for the first 10-15 (sometimes more), the reading is elevated, compared to later readings, even when the cat is pretty calm. If you can get the cat acclimated to the cuff to the point where it will fall asleep as you keep taking readings, after the first 15 readings is when you'll get the most consistent readings. I'd at least try to get 10 readings (and average 5 or so), if you can; they might be a little on the high side compared to if your cat was sleeping and let you get more readings, but if they're fairly consistent (within 10-20 points of each other), that's pretty good. I tried getting readings on the front paw, and had zero luck with that. The readings were all over the place - no consistency, and often the machine didn't give a reading. I think part of the problem is the paw/arm bends where you need to get the reading, plus the artery might not have as strong a pulse. It didn't have any luck with the base of the tail, either (close to the back legs). If you can get consistent readings with this machine, it's probably better than any blood pressure reading you'll get in a vet's office, since cats are usually stressed out by the vet visit.

Product was to take blood pressure of a 15.5 year old Golden Chow. He has very pink gums. At first, the machine was very difficult to even get a reading. I took it to our vets, who calibrated it and told me it was easier to operate and fairly accurate. Within a week, however, it gave error message after error message -- loose cuff, excessive movement (dog laying flat, asleep) and air leakage. I am very disappointed, I really needed a cuff that could give me valuable information. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

I purchased this monitor after a vet appointment revealed my dog had hypertension, and requested that I schedule follow-up for a recheck of his blood pressure in a few days. After the doc called with results of other tests performed, I told her that I purchased this blood pressure monitor, to monitor between vet visits, and she was very supportive of the idea, suggesting that I bring my monitor during our next appointment to ensure I’m using the device correctly and that results compare to their veterinarian grade device they use. We did just that, and the doc was astonished that the results were so similar, so much so that the doc requested that I send her the details on this monitor (i.e, make, model, where I purchased), assuming to recommend to other patients with issues of hypertension.

I wasn't sure about this because of the reviews, but I wanted to be able to take my cat's blood pressure at home since he went blind from high blood pressure before we figured it out. I don't want more health complications. It's not perfect. Only the expensive vet with the thousand dollar dopplar BP machine gets truly accurate measurements. My regular vet has a similar, although much more expensive machine, and it took many tries to get an accurate BP there, so I felt this machine does a pretty good job! Sometimes when I do three in a row I'll get one that is obviously an anomaly, so I discount that reading. A few days ago, I couldn't get a reading and was getting a "cuff error" message. I was pretty upset since I've only had the monitor for 6 weeks, so I emailed them about it. They responded quickly and asked for pictures of the cuff, the machine, and the serial number on the back. What they realized, (and I felt dumb for NOT realizing) was that somehow the cuff reading on the monitor had changed to show that I was using a large cuff. The cuff for the cat is a small cuff. I changed it back and it works fine. But they responded quickly and I was pleased with that - very pleased. What could they do better? Offer a thinner cuff for cats that might be a bit more accurate. If they redesign the machine, they might make the controls easier to use in terms of setting date and things. I did manage to figure out how to change the upper levels for the machine to go to because it was only going to 170 and then down, and my cat's BP is often 175. I looked at the instructions and was able to do it (can't remember how now...). But it's a great machine for the price and they have decent customer service. So I'm a bit surprised by the low ratings.