High Cholesterol

DianeP

DianeP

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Does anybody know about health risks for a Sheltie with high cholesterol? Mindy has tested high a few times. Our vet said not to worry, that dog cholesterol doesn’t mean the same thing as it does for humans. But, now I’m reading about gall bladder issues that might be related. Mindy is healthy but does have a history of chronic GI issues...doing well now. Any thoughts?
 
Interestingly, our Asta had high cholesterol all her life, and it was only later I found out about the connection to gallbladder. She had a stroke at age 12 and at the emergency vet they did an ultrasound and incidentally found she had a mucocele also. That was not the cause of her problem or her passing though. SIGH. That was such an awful day.

I would certainly monitor Mindy for gallbladder issues, but she's awfully young yet.
 
Yes, I have no idea why they test for cholesterol in dogs. It has always been a part of the routine panel. True, you occasionally see cloudy lipid precipitates on the cornea, but they are rarely significant and not much you can do about them anyway.
But, as Piper's Mom says , it can indeed be a marker for low thyroid, and a thyroid test for dogs with high cholesterol is always a good idea. Though I'd much rather simply see a T4 thyroid test- an inexpensive test- on the basic panel instead of cholesterol.
 
Also check for Cushings. Tully's is sometimes up - possibly from the issue with biliary sludge or from chronic pancreatitis. Does she have hyperlipidemia as well? Did they check the triglycerides? This often comes up on the Canine IBD group. If she's also having ongoing GI issues you might want to put her on a food trial or a limited ingredient (and low fat) food and see if that helps.
 
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