I am 73 years old. Some 30 years ago, my BP started going up, and I was advised to reduce salt. I did it and monitored my BP every day, and watched it go down gradually but steadily. and it stayed down for a few years. Then it started climbing again, and I started taking anti-hypertensive medications. I now take two different such medications to keep my BP within normal range, and I watch my diet. Eliminating salt from your diet is very difficult because so many things contain salt. It's not just avoiding the salt shaker and avoiding salt in the food you cook. Most people do not know it, but milk, bread and most cold cuts and cheeses contain salt. Meats and fishes also contain some salt. The only things that contain no salt are potatoes, fruit and veggies, rice, grains, beans and unsalted nuts. You can accustom your taste buds to "like" unsalted food and, after a few weeks, you will find even lightly salted things too salty and wonder how you ever ate them. Depending on your personal situation, you might make life very complicated for the people you live with. If you decide to embark on this low sodium effort, make sure your BP elevation is not so high as to pose a serious risk, because you could do yourself harm if you do not get your BP under control promptly. Another thing to consider is that some people with high BP have a form of the disease that is particularly salt-sensitive. They respond especially well to reduced sodium intake. If your illness is not of that type, then you will probably eventually find that sodium restriction does not afford you the degree of BP control that you need, and you will have to start taking medication. Of you can try calcium supplements, but they can be constipating. The cheapest and for most people safest starting antihypertensive medication is hydochlorthiazide (HCZT), which is available as a generic and costs less than $20 per month. It's a very safe drug, and you will probably not experience any unpleasant side effects. Blood pressure control is one of the few areas where the drug industry has succeeded very well. The available treatments are highly effective and extremely safe. You will hardly know you are taking any medication, and the "silent killer" can be kept safely at bay.

Hi Randi, I'm sorry I forgot about this post! Try not to get too compulsive about checking your BP several times a day. I would do it at the same time for several days, then change to a different time of day for awhile.....just to see if its pretty consistent. If your Inderal isn't working, you might try a different one. I was really happy with Toprol. It got rid of 99% of my headaches. It was heaven! The worst thing about it was that at a slightly higher dose, I couldn't think straight at all. Also, even at a lower dose, my appetite went crazy. I don't get all the headaches I used to, but I still get them occasionally. If they got worse, I'd definitely go back on the Toprol. Does someone go with you to the doctor's? If I took xanax before I doctor's appointment, I think would fall asleep in the car on the way! Our blood pressure fluctuates all day long, so don't think something's wrong, just because it goes up a little. I hate that Whitecoat syndrome!! Now that I'm off my Toprol, it really goes up at the doctor's. I was at the doctor's yesterday, and my diastolic was 100! At home, its in the 70's. I've discovered Christmas holidays I had too much to eat, and too much salt, and my BP really spiked. So try to cut back on your salt. I think a little exercise is also important.......just walking at a good pace is good. One thing about "Whitecoat syndrome". One doctor told me once "if you get this worked up coming here, then you probably also get worked up over other things during the day"......which is probably true. If you consistently feel that your BP is too high, I would encourage you to talk to your doc about trying a different beta blocker. I really loved the Toprol. It worked on my heartrate, my BP, my anxiety, and my migraines. Again, sorry I forgot about this post! I hope things are going well for you.

Yes ...it sounds like your pool just needs more water.

I would take him to a specialist. Just like people many vets are starting to specialize in specific areas of medicine.. Many are by referral only so get your Vet to refer you, if he/she doesn't feel it's necessary, go to a different vet or even an emergency clinic to get one but I would look into seeing a specialist for blood disorders in dogs.. I hope your puppy will be ok.