Do dogs burn cholesterol from walks and runs, or is it not a problem?

Hello, In dogs, unlike humans, we generally don't worry about their diets with high cholesterol. High cholesterol can be associated with both hypothyroidism and adrenal disease, as well as a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol. I would recommend talking to your vet about the rest of the of blood panel and seeing if there are any other abnormalities that might point to an endocrine disorder or a genetic predisposition before changing his diet. However, some boutique, "fancier" diets are not actually balanced for canine nutrition. In particular, grain free diets have been associated with heart disease over time. I would talk to your vet about his diet and make sure it's meeting his nutritional needs before making any new changes. If you do decide to change his diet, please do so over a course of seven days so the rapid change of food does not cause stomach upset. Other signs of hypothyroidism include: increased appetite, weight gain, lesser activity levels, hair loss, and changes of the skin Other signs of adrenal disease, either Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's disease) or Hypoadrenocorticism (Addison's disease), can include: vomiting, diarrhea, panting, weight gain, increased thirst and urination, hair loss, and skin changes If Rocky has any of these other changes occurring, this is likely why your vet is recommending further testing to examine his endocrine health. Luckily, most endocrine diseases can be well managed over time once they are diagnosed. I hope this has been helpful! I know it's a lot of information, but I wanted to try to answer everything. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Amylase has to do with pancreas. We do not have many blood tests related to heart disease in animals. The only one I am aware of is called tha BNP and it is a special test. Those liver values are pretty mild and I usually do not do anything about them at this stage other than recheck the liver values in 1-2 months. It could also just be very early in disease or toxin so ask your vet if you should be concerned. As for the atavor, we don’t really see atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) causing cardiovascular disease in dogs- it is very rare. The cholesterol is usually not very important on dog bloodwork and is more likely a metabolic problem than a cardiovascular problem. Statins also come with a lot of side effects. If the vet recommending it is a board-certified cardiologist who has performed a full ultrasound evaluation of the heart and vessels, then absolutely take his recommendation. Otherwise I’d probably skip the atavor. Best wishes to you and Max.

This diet is excellent for skin. The main energy source in this diet is fat which may effect dogs who already have high triglyceride or cholesterol levels. Most dogs who have those levels, will still do well on the diet. A good course of action would be to have another blood work run on Moka to look at the levels now that she is on the diet. A comparison with the blood work 6 months ago will let you know if the diet is causing a further increase in the values. Then you can make a decision on the benefits vs risks of the diet. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. It is very safe to give a boiled egg daily to Bruno. Eggs are just as good for dogs as they are for people. I doubt that 1 egg will increase his weight significantly & dietary cholesterol is not a significant source of this compound. Most cholesterol is manufactured in the liver so a daily egg will never hurt anyone. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dogs do not develop arthrosclerosis and therefore cannot have heart attacks like people do. However, that can develop a number of heart conditions including Congestive Heart Failure especially as they get older. Regular veterinary visits will help with early identification of heart murmurs and x-rays could help identify if there are changes in the size and shape of the heart. Keeping Bruno at an ideal weight and on a high-quality pet food as well as exercising him regularly will help him stay as healthy as possible. Omega 3 fatty acids are a great nutritional supplement as well.

It will make little difference in the long run. Dogs rarely develop heart disease due to a high fat diet like humans do. The heart disease a Cavalier is predisposed to stems from a failure or weakening of the heart valves that control blood flow through the heart. As long as Chloe is active and not overweight, the diet change is fine. Switch food gradually to avoid GI upset.

Hello there! I'm not David obviously; unfortunately, I don't think he's on the forum at the moment as your priority question has been sitting for 20 minutes, so I'm answering it to make sure that you get an answer because you paid for one in a timely manner. I would consider a highly active dog as a working dog, such as one that helps herd sheep or pulls dog sleds for example. These are dogs that are active all day long, burning high amounts of calories, and require a special working dog diet to meet their caloric needs. If Chloe is walked 20-60 minutes five to six days a week, I would not classify her as highly active. She is active, but I would say more mildly active. Adult minimum fat percent of the diet should be 5.5%. The 10% should be fine for her. You can post again a free question in the forum if you want David to answer you, and it will stay until he gets to it. Best of luck, I hope this helps!