Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cholesterol levels in dogs with common hormone diseases at diagnosis
By WeiChun Huang et al.·Published in BMC Veterinary Research·2025·Internal Medicine Department, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, GB·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Serum cholesterol disturbances in dogs with common endocrinopathies at the time of diagnosis: a retrospective study
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Labrador with diabetes was found to have high cholesterol levels during a routine check-up. The vet discovered that dogs with diabetes often have elevated cholesterol, and this can help in diagnosing the condition. In this case, the dog's cholesterol was significantly higher than normal, which is common for dogs with diabetes. After treatment for diabetes, the dog's cholesterol levels were monitored, and they were able to manage the condition effectively.
People also search for: dog diabetes symptoms · high cholesterol in dogs · managing dog diabetes
Abstract
Abstract Background Although dyslipidemia is commonly reported in dogs, comparative data on the magnitude of serum cholesterol disturbances have not been reported. We aimed to describe the severity of hyper- and hypocholesterolemia in dogs with common endocrinopathies and to evaluate its association with common laboratory parameters. Medical records were reviewed over a decade (2011–2022) for dogs with hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperadrenocorticism (HAC), or hypoadrenocorticism (HA), and included signalment, common laboratory and diagnostic imaging parameters, comorbidities, and medications. This retrospective study included 53 dogs with hypothyroidism, 54 with DM, 62 with HAC, and 79 with HA. Results Medians [range] of serum cholesterol concentration ([Chol]s) for dogs with hypothyroidism, DM, HAC, and HA were 492 [174–1829], 321 [116–928], 309 [151–630], and 112 mg/dL [31–309], and hypercholesterolemia was reported in 91%, 85%, 81%, and 9% for each disorder, respectively. Median [Chol]s was significantly higher in hypothyroid dogs with a serum thyroxine concentration < 0.47 (A = 607) vs. ≥0.47 ug/dL (B = 324 mg/dL) (B-A = -299 mg/dL; 95.21% CI of difference = [-433; -166]; p < .0001), and significantly lower in HAC dogs with serum ALP activity < 1,000 U/L (A = 275) vs. ≥1,000 (B = 360 mg/dL) (B-A = + 74 mg/dL; 95.14% CI of difference = [+ 25; +121], p = .006). Comparison among all studied endocrinopathies showed that median [Chol]s was significantly higher in hypothyroid dogs and significantly lower in HA dogs, whereas median [Chol]s was similar in HAC and DM dogs. Conclusions Serum cholesterol concentration can serve as a valuable tool to suspect certain canine endocrinopathies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-024-04413-0