Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low serotonin linked to aggression in dogs study
By Cakiroğlu, D et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2007·Department of Internal Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Relationship between the serum concentrations of serotonin and lipids and aggression in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of aggressive dogs had lower levels of serotonin in their blood compared to normal dogs. This study looked at 23 aggressive dogs and 18 non-aggressive dogs, finding that the aggressive ones had significantly less serotonin, which is a chemical that can affect mood and behavior. However, there were no significant differences in fat levels (lipids) between the two groups. Understanding these differences could help in managing aggression in dogs, but more research is needed to find effective treatments.
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Abstract
The serum concentrations of serotonin and lipids--triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein--were determined in 18 normal dogs and 23 dogs diagnosed as aggressive on the basis of interviews with their owners and an assessment of their behaviour with reference to a canine overt aggression chart. The serum serotonin levels in the aggressive dogs were significantly lower than in the normal dogs (P<0.01), but the differences in serum lipids between the two groups were not statistically significant.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17630419/