The Doppler ultrasonic recording technique was used to measure systolic and diastolic blood pressures indirectly in 28 cats with naturally occurring renal failure, 39 cats with hyperthyroidism, and 33 clinically normal cats. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the normal cats were 118.4 +/- 10.6 mm Hg and 83.8 +/- 12.2 mm Hg, respectively. In the cats with chronic renal failure, both the systolic (146.6 +/- 25.4 mm Hg) and diastolic (96.6 +/- 15.2 mm Hg) blood pressures were significantly higher (P less than 0.0001 and P less than 0.01, respectively) than in the normal cats. Elevations in systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure were recorded in 17 (61%) of the 28 cats with chronic renal failure. In the 39 untreated hyperthyroid cats, both the mean systolic (167.9 +/- 28.9 mm Hg) and diastolic (111.6 +/- 21.5 mm Hg) pressures also were significantly higher (P less than 0.0001) than normal. Increased systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure was recorded in 34 (87%) of the 39 hyperthyroid cats. In seven cats with hyperthyroidism that were reevaluated two to four months after successful treatment of the hyperthyroid state, there was a significant fall in mean systolic pressure (P less than 0.05) from a pretreatment value of 159.5 +/- 15.4 mm Hg to a posttreatment value of 132.0 +/- 1.62 mm Hg. Overall, the results of this study indicate that mild to moderate hypertension is common in cats with chronic renal failure and in cats with untreated hyperthyroidism. In addition, the hypertension appears to be reversible following successful treatment of the hyperthyroid state.

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Renal transplantation is a successful treatment for terminal renal failure in cats. However, in the initial clinical study, there was a frequent occurrence of obstruction of the implanted ureter at the bladder wall or stoma. This resulted in the use of a modified "drop-in" technique that had proved effective in the prevention of obstruction in five normal cats. When applied to renal transplant recipients, ureteral obstruction was reduced, but continued to occur. The modified "drop-in" technique was abandoned and replaced with a technique that apposed the cut edge of the ureteral mucosa to the torn edge of the bladder mucosa. This technique is recommended as it has prevented ureteral obstruction in six successive cases. Prevention of ureteral obstruction, and the required corrective surgery, markedly reduces patient morbidity and mortality, length of hospitalization, and expense to the client.