Influences of measurement environment and owner presence on in-clinic blood pressure in dogs.

Objective and animals: The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of measurement environment and owner presence on oscillometric blood pressure (BP) values in 14 clinically healthy dogs. Procedure: Without removing the cuff, noninvasive BP measurements were taken in 3 consecutive in-clinic situations: Situations 1) a quiet waiting room with only the owner present, 2) an examination room with the owner and veterinary personnel present, and 3) an examination room without the owner present. Only measurements with bell-shaped oscillograms were considered valid. Systolic, diastolic, and mean BP; pulse pressure; pulse rate; percentage of valid measurements; and success rate were compared among situations. Results: Systolic and mean BP were significantly higher in the absence of the owner, whereas no significant differences were observed among other parameters. The overall success rate of obtaining 5 consecutive valid measurements was low (26.2%). Conclusion and clinical relevance: We concluded that owner absence was associated with higher in-clinic BP values and may influence BP assessment in dogs. Results supported measuring BP with the owner present under standardized conditions in clinical practice.