Canine essential hypertension: probable mode of inheritance.

Essential hypertension (EH) in dogs is a relatively recently reported phenomenon. In this colony the canine disorder follows family lines and has a probable polygenic mode of inheritance, although the specific mode of inheritance has not been defined since an autosomal dominant trait has not clearly been ruled out. Direct intra-arterial femoral punctures are used to monitor blood pressure elevations, which tend to increase with advancing age. As in man, there are dogs with blood pressures intermediate between affected and normal dogs.