High cholesterol in dogs - Causes, symptoms and treatment

Cholesterols are essential fats that All animals need to properly develop their body and maintain a balanced metabolism.While cholesterol has gained a certain "bad reputation" thanks to the consequences of its high levels in the bloodstream, it is one of the lipids that the body produces naturally and it is present in practically all cells, participating in digestion, the synthesis of vitamin D and the production of hormones.

The problem arises when blood cholesterol levels are constantly excessive, characterizing a clinical picture called hyperlipidemia or hypercholesterolemia .Although it usually affects humans much more frequently, dogs can also be diagnosed with high cholesterol.

In this Ex article pertoAnimal, we will tell you more about the symptoms, causes and prevention for high cholesterol in dogs .Of course, we highlight that hyperlidemia, as well as any other disease or health problem, can only be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian.Therefore, do not offer natural remedies or homemade solutions, or self-medicate your best friend without the prior guidance of a trained professional.

What does it mean for our dog to have high cholesterol?

The term "high cholesterol" is used to refer popularly to the clinical picture called hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia, which is characterized by the constant presence of excessive cholesterol levels in the bloodstream .

In this sense, it is essential to differentiate a eventual or temporary elevation from a hyperlipidemia picture.When feeding or experiencing complicated situations (stressful, scary, etc.) , it is normal for dogs to show an increase in blood cholesterol.However, these levels should normalize after a few hours of feeding or the negative context.

But if we talk about a case of triglycerides and cholesterol high in dogs, we observe that fat levels in the bloodstream remain high after having performed blood tests in a fasting context from 8 to 12 h.

Causes of high cholesterol in dogs

As with people, high cholesterol in dogs can have different causes, so it is essential to have the experience and knowledge of a veterinarian who, with the help of technology, can evaluate the specific cause of hypercholesterolemia in each patient.

In general, high cholesterol conditions in dogs are usually associated with congenital abnormalities, metabolic problems or an inappropriate diet and a sedentary lifestyle.We summarize the causes and risk factors that may be associated with a picture of hyperlipidemia in dogs:

Pregnancy : Pregnant bitches may be especially vulnerable to developing a picture of hyperlipidemia, so we must pay special attention to the nutrition of a pregnant dog and the appropriate exercises for the period of pregnancy and lactation;
Nephrotic syndrome : it is a degenerative disease qu It affects the kidneys and is characterized by a complex symptomatology that includes hyperlipidemia, proteinuria and interstitial edema.It usually develops from a complication of glomerular kidney disease in dogs (ERG).
Unbalanced food , with an excess of foods high in fat, meat, dairy or industrialized products.
Sedentary or poor physical activity , that is , when the dog does not perform the exercises it demands to maintain optimal health and a balanced behavior.
Problems in the functioning of the thyroid gland (especially canine hypothyroidism).
Diabetes .
Anomalous and excessive activity of the adrenal glands.
Pancreatitis .
Cholestasis : It consists of the total or partial obstruction of the bile ducts that is usually related to liver or liver problems pancreas.
Old age : older dogs tend to show a greater predisposition to accumulate fat in their body and need special care with their diet and physical activity.They can also be more vulnerable to many diseases and certain behavioral problems.Therefore, it is essential to provide adequate care for elderly dogs, as well as effective preventive medicine.

Symptoms of high cholesterol in dogs

High cholesterol in dogs is usually a silent disease, whose first signs are not very specific and difficult to recognize in our best friends.For this reason, many dogs are only diagnosed when their symptoms are already more advanced.It is also essential to make preventive consultations to the veterinarian to make the necessary blood checks and ensure the optimal state of health of our hairy.

Next, we list the symptoms that are usually associated with high cholesterol in dogs:

Bruises or patches on the skin.
Abdominal pain.
Formation of orange or yellowish bumps on your skin, which are filled with fat (known as dermal xanthomas).
Seizures.
Nervous system disorders (which can lead to changes in your behavior usual).

Treatment for high cholesterol in dogs

When observing one of these symptoms in your best friend or any alteration in their appearance or behavior, do not hesitate to go quickly to the veterinary clinic.A trained professional can perform the necessary tests to confirm the diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia , as well as establishing an appropriate treatment according to the needs of your hairy.

Most likely, the veterinarian will recommend a change in the diet and exercise routine of your hairy, with the goal of controlling cholesterol levels and improving their quality of life.In general, adult patients with hyperlipidemia adopt a feed for dogs with high specific cholesterol or a high-fiber diet (which helps metabolize cholesterol molecules), low in fat (maximum 10%), and with high quality protein.

Depending on your dog's health status and cholesterol levels, the veterinarian will assess the need for administr ar specific drugs or natural supplements that help reduce blood fat levels and prevent the development of diseases and complications related to high cholesterol in dogs.

Can Danacol be given? To a dog?

Due to the benefits of this product in humans to lower high cholesterol levels, many people wonder if they can give it to their hairy ones too.The truth is that dogs can eat natural yogurt thanks to the fact that it is an excellent source of probiotics, but when we talk about its liquid version and, in addition, made especially for humans, we do not recommend offering it .So, as we said, it is advisable to go to veterinarian to be the specialist who determines how to lower high cholesterol in the dog.

How to avoid high cholesterol in dogs?

Preventing high cholesterol in dogs is not only possible, but it is essential to offer an excellent quality of life to our best friends.The best preventive measure is to provide a complete and balanced nutrition to our furry, having taking into account their age, size, health status and the specific needs of their body.

For this, the ideal is always to have the guidance of a veterinarian when deciding on the best diet for our dogs.In addition, we should never offer forbidden dog food, as well as greasy, fried or industrialized human meals.

It will also be essential to offer an active life to our dogs, giving them the possibility to exercise regularly with at least 2 or 3 daily walks of 30 to 40 minutes.On the other hand, preventive consultations to the veterinarian every 6 months they will allow us to monitor the health status of our faithful companions, as well as to diagnose any imbalance in their organism early.

This article is purely informative, at ExpertAnimal.com we have no power to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis.We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in the case If you have any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to High cholesterol in dogs-Causes, symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our section of Other health problems.

Comments

Why does my dog attack me without reason?

Today my dog ran out of the house and I was chasing him until he reached it.This was near a car in which I set the floor and continued to smell.It was this morning, I was in a hurry because I was already late to the school and I had to go back as soon as possible.I grabbed him by the collar and started running, I crouched down, since he didn't bring a leash with me.Then I stopped for a moment because I had dropped something, my dog also stopped and started Snarling, I said "What's wrong with you?" As I lifted the object and out of nowhere it pounced on me, I managed to dodge the first bite, but then I caught my arm and began to shake it without wanting to let it go.I had never behaved like this.I went to tell my father that the dog had gone out and that he needed his help.When he returned with my mother, he told me that she had also taken a bite, but that I was not able to give it.The dog in question is a Shepherd German, we rescued him from the street when he was...

How to heal a wound in my dog's eye?

In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain how to heal a wound in a dog's eye , differentiating when it occurs around the eye or inside.A wound in one eye, due to its location, presents differences with respect to wounds produced in others parts of the body, so they can not be cured in the same way.Also, most of these wounds will require examination by a veterinarian, since we could be in the eye damage that cause serious injury. If your dog has wounds around the eye or inside and you don't know what to do, keep reading and apply the first aid we share. How to heal wounds around the eyes in dogs? In principle, and as long as these wounds do not affect the inside of the eye, we can treat them as if they were wounds in any other part of the body.So, to heal them we will follow the following steps, provided that it is superficial lesions caused, for example, by a slight blow to the eye, since the deep ones require veterinary assistance: We must delimit...

Persian cat hair care

The Persian cat is characterized by its long and dense fur, regardless of its face Of such characteristic features in this luxurious feline breed.Obviously this type of mantle requires meticulous care that other cat breeds do not need. In Animals and Pets Online we will provide you with the guidelines so that your Persian cat always looks good groomed and beautiful in this article on the Persian cat hair care . Discover what ideas we propose, read on: Daily care All Persian cats need daily care on our part.It is our obligation to provide them with food and water every day, while keeping their sand clean.Although we do not create the benefits of healthy and healthy feeding.quality will directly affect the animal's mantle. In the case of the Persian cat there is a daily obligation added: comb it . Naturally, we must do it with carino and with the appropriate material for this, keep reading to discover the indications recommended by Animals and Pets Online. Material f...

12 DISEASES TRANSMITTING CATS and their symptoms

Felines can transmit some diseases to humans, especially if they do not carry out veterinary visits that include the monitoring of the vaccine schedule for cats and the deworming of cats.Among these diseases, the following stand out: Toxocariasis toxocariasis is a infection caused by a parasite that affects the cat, the Toxocara cati , a worm that lodges in the intestine.When the earthworm affects the human being, the disease is called visceral migrans larva. The infection is given by ingestion of the feces infected by eggs.This may occur due to improper cleaning of the cat litter box and even manipulating the land where the pet defecates, so it affects mostly children.This is a dangerous disease , because the earthworm is able to migrate to different organs of the body, causing blindness to ando is installed in the eye. Its symptoms are: Swelling of the liver Fever Swollen glands lymphatic Cough Campylobacteriosis It is a disease infectious caused by...

Side effects of cat vaccines

Following the vaccination schedule in cats saves many lives every year, both in the feline species as in many others, and keeps serious diseases under control, especially in cats that go outside or that are in colonies or collectivities.That is why they are vitally important. However, as occurs with most drugs, may present a series of adverse effects or unexpected reactions that should be known, without forgetting that the beneficial effects are much greater than the possible damages in most cases.To minimize possible adverse effects, we will always comply with the vaccination schedule according to the age and environment of our cat, according to the indications of our veterinarian and, of course, always complying with the appropriate safety measures, so only you can manage them A qualified professional, after scanning the animal to be able to detect any possible signs of illness that could discourage vaccination. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will detail the ...

Animals that feed on blood

Animals that feed on blood are known as hematophagous animals .Most of them are parasites of the animals they feed on, but not all of them.species are vectors of diseases, because they transmit from one animal to another bacteria and viruses that are found in the blood of their victims. Contrary to what is shown on film and television, the animals that they feed on blood are not insatiable beasts thirsty for this vital substance, but this simply represents another type of feeding. Next, know what these animals are.How many of them have you seen before? Here are some animals that base their diet on the blood: Vampire bat Honoring the fame that has given the cinema to relate it to Dracula , there is a species of vampire bat that feeds on blood.It has 3 subspecies that are: Vampire co mun ( Desmodus rotundus ): is common in Chile, Mexico and Argentina, where he prefers to live in areas with a lot of vegetation.It shows short fur, crushed snout and is able to move on its...

Natural anti-inflammatories for dogs

The body of our friends dogs is truly complex, in fact, both anatomically and physiologically saved important similarities with the human organism, therefore, is also susceptible to contracting multiple diseases. The inflammation or inflammatory process is not a serious condition or a disease in itself, but if it can be due to different pathologies, therefore veterinary supervision will be essential. If you want to treat your dog in a natural and respectful way with its organism, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we show you what are the best natural anti-inflammatories for dogs . If your dog suffers an inflammatory process... If your dog suffers an inflammatory process you can observe in the following ymptoms : Pain : the dog manifests pain through restlessness, groans or changes in appetite and behavior. Heat : The inflamed area has an increase in body temperature that is noticeable to the touch. Tumor : refers to the swelling that occurs in inflamed tiss...

10 prohibited foods for dogs according to scientific studies

1 onion The onion is undoubtedly one of the foods that we should completely exclude from the dog's diet since it is a potentially toxic food.Its allicin content is released after chewing and the substance that degrades, n-propyl disulfide, causes an oxidative lesion in the cell membranes of erythrocytes, breaking into blood vessels and causing hemolytic anemia . We should not worry if our dog has eaten a small dose of onion by accident, however, continuous ingestion causes gastrointestinal problems and, in the most acute cases, the appearance of jaundice due to hemolysis.For every 15 grams per kilogram of the dog's weight we can begin to observe symptoms of toxicity in the dog. Symptoms of onion poisoning usually go unnoticed, but we may notice vomiting , weakness and a change in mucous color of the dog. 2.Coffee, tea and chocolate coffee , te and chocolate have in common methylxanthine , a stimulating alkaloid that acts directly on the central nervous sys...

Symptoms of a pregnant guinea pig

Given the precocity and ease with which the guinea pigs reproduce, it is not surprising that Caregivers have doubts about whether their guinea pig has become pregnant or not.Therefore, in this article of Animals and Pets Online we will explain how to know if a guinea pig is pregnant .To do this, we will describe the fundamental changes by what will happen to our guinea pig if it is in a state of gestation, as well as the most important characteristics of this period.If you want to know if your guinea pig is pregnant, read on! Behavior of a pregnant guinea pig If we adopt our guinea pig without knowing its previous life or know that it has had contact with males, surely we are going to ask ourselves, just pick it up, as we can know if our guinea pig is pregnant.Attention, from very soon, when it is not yet possible to manifest physical changes, we can verify that our guinea pig is something more arisca and hostile .In addition, it will be more reluctant to manipulate it, it will ...

Jealousy between cats and dogs

Our cute pets get excited and are also capable of feeling jealous just like humans.If you already have a dog or a cat in your home and wait for the arrival of a pet of different species you must take into account certain considerations that will help you have a better coexistence. Here we give you our tips for avoid jealousy between cats and dogs .Follow the advice of Animal Expert to achieve the best coexistence between them. The first step is socialization Is your dog sociable? From ExpertAnimal we always encourage you to socialize your pets with people and animals of all kinds, this means making it able to participate and enjoy the company of those around you. Both If the animal you already have at home is a dog or a cat, you must do everything possible so that it acquires social and friendly behavior before adopting a new pet. Ask your friends and family members that in the case of having pets also bring them to visit, it is essential that the pet begins to get used to...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog