Even small changes in limb position can affect blood pressure readings in anaesthetised dogs, study shows

18 August 2026

New research has shown that moving a blood pressure cuff just a few centimetres above or below base of the heart level can lead to clinically significant discrepancies in blood pressure readings in anaesthetised dogs.

Although previous research has shown that elevating the cuff 5 cm above heart base level resulted in clinically significant underestimation of arterial blood pressure in anaesthetised cats, the effect of raising or lowering the limb on which the cuff is placed was unknown in dogs.

A new study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, investigated how variations in limb positioning, when compared with the standard reference position, affect arterial blood pressure values in dogs under general anaesthesia.

Blood pressure measurements were taken in 22 healthy dogs undergoing elective neutering procedures at Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital. Measurements were taken using the PetMAP Graphic II, with dogs in dorsal recumbency using cuffs aligned at the level of the base of the heart, as well as above and below that height by a distance equivalent to 20% of each dog’s thoracic depth.

The study found that when the thoracic limb was positioned below the heart base, both systolic and mean arterial pressure readings increased significantly. In the pelvic limb, elevating the cuff above heart base level led to significant decreases in systolic, mean and diastolic arterial pressure readings. The median difference in mean arterial pressure was 6.1 mmHg compared with measurements obtained at heart base level.

These findings show that even small deviations of the cuff position, as little as 3 cm above or below the heart base level, can result in considerable and potentially clinically relevant discrepancies in mean systolic and mean arterial pressure readings, up to 6 mmHg.

This emphasises the importance of ensuring that both the cuff and limb are correctly positioned when taking arterial blood pressure, prior to confirming states of hypo- or hypertension, or making treatment decisions.

Read the full study in the Journal of Small Animal Practice.